4*-^/^ 


rT^'^T,';;r.'XU..'.','a„.^^ 


-^-#^3 


'.-*■ 


.A' 


Jftt^^^i 


<jtiUe  *«%fal^^,^. 


^*%, 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


'v^. 


(I  Uyy'<lyha.aed      i^   /hi     Pi ^t-^-^i^  o£x.   ^^^/.<^w3^  J?  U^4^ 


BV  3680  .F5  C36  1863 

The  Cannibal  Islands,  or, 
Shelf        Fiji  and  its  people 


V 


THE 


CANNIBAL  ISLANDS; 


FIJI  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


"The  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of 
cruelty." — Ps.  Ixxiv.  20. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

PRESBYTERIAN  PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE, 

1334  CHESTNUT   STREET. 


NEW  YORK:  A.  D.  P.  RANDOLPH,  083  BROADWAY. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

\VM.  L.  HILDEBURN,  Treasurer, 

in  Trust  for  the 

PRESBYTERIAN  PUBLICATION  COMMITTEE, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States 
for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PREPACK 


At  the  present  day,  when  interest  is 
generally  aroused  in  regard  to  the  South 
Sea  Islands,  an  account  of  the  Fijians 
will  be  opportune. 

In  America  but  little  is  known  of  the 
people,  and  less  of  the  progress  of  Chris- 
tianity among  them.  Although  they 
have  frequently  been  visited  by  naviga- 
tors, no  popular  American  work  on  the 
subject  has  been  presented  to  the  public. 

The  mission  established  in  Fiji  by  the 
English  having  no  connection  with  any 
of  our  missionary  stations,  the  informa- 
tion that  has  reached  us  has  been  vague 
and  unsatisfactory. 

For  much  information  in  regard  to  the 
character  and  habits  of  the  people  we 


4  PREFACE. 

are  indebted  to  the  recent  work  of  the 
Eeverend  Messrs.  Thomas  Williams  and 
James  Calvert,  "Fiji  and  the  Fijians." 
We  wish  also  to  acknowledge  our  obli- 
gations to  Captain  Wilkes'  Exploring  Ex- 
pedition, and  Captain  Erskine's  "Islands 
of  the  Western  Pacific." 

The  facts  here  given  cannot  fail  deeply 
to  interest  and  move  the  heart  of  the 
reader.  We  have  at  one  view  the  depths 
of  degradation  to  which  man  can  sink, 
and  the  power  of  God's  grace  to  raise 
him  from  these  depths  and  transform  him 
into  a  follower  of  Christ. 


CONTENTS. 


PAET  I. 

PAGE 

CHAP.  I. —  The  Islands. —  History — Scenery- 
Population — White  Residents — Climate f 

CHAP.  II. — The  Islanders. — Race — Appearance 

— Hair-Dressing — Dress— Tattoo 18 

CHAP.  III. — Fijian  Character. — Vices — Lying 
— Pride — Anger — Hypocrisy — Self-Control — 
Revenge — Theft 32 

CHAP.   IV.— Government.— Rank— Chiefs— Ma- 

tas — Vasus — Punishments 51 

CHAP.  V. —  Language  and  Literature. — Copi- 
ousness— Books — Poetry — Singing 61 

CHAP.  VI.— Woman  in  Fiji.— Degraded— Poly- 
gamy—  Infanticide  —  Marriage  —  Children — 
The  Aged  and  Sick — Tangithi — Burying  alive     68 

CHAP.  VII.  —  Funeral    Ceremonies. — Tuitha- 

kau's  Burial — Graves — Victims 88 

CHAP.  VIII.— Cannibalism 102 

CHAP.    IX.— War  in   Fiji.  — Declared —Armies 

— Forts — Battles — Peace — Weapons 115 

CHAP.  X. — Social  Habits. — Houses — Food — Ya- 
qona  —  Feasts — Politeness — Sports — Music — 

Dances — Stories  —Tabu 126 

1*  5 


6  CONTENTS. 


PAGB 


CHAP.  XI. — Occupations. — Agriculture — Manu- 
factures— House-Building — Canoes  — Fishing  148 

CHAP.  XII. — Religion. — Temples — Priests — In- 
spiration— Gods  —  Future  State  — Witchcraft 
—Traditions— Flood 162 


PART  II. 

CHAP.  I. — The  Mission  Established. — Lakem- 
ba — Preaching  — Annoyances  —  Congregation 
formed  —  Persecution — Trials — Mbau — Rein- 
forcement— Printing-Press 187 

CHAP.  II.  — Ono.— No  Teacher  — The  Praying 
Heathen — Wrecked  Tongans  —  Teacher  and 
Books  for  Ono— Vatoa 203 

CHAP.  III. — Rewa. — Mbau  refuses — Rewa  occu- 
pied— Illness — Viwa  visited 210 

CHAP.  IV. — SoMO-SoMO. — Mission  begun — Trou- 
bles —  Strangling  —  Cannibalism  —  Threats — 
Admiral  Wilkes— Tuikilakila 215 

CHAP.  V. — Viwa. — Mbau  still  refuses — Viwa  oc- 
cupied— Verani — War 223 

CHAP.  VI. — Lakemba. — Progress  made — ^Another 

Missionary — Oneata — New  Chapel 232 

CHAP.  VII. — Ono. — Mr.  Calvert  visits  Vatoa  and 
Ono — The  Work  prospers — Christians  in  War 
— A  Native  Pastor — Baptisms  by  Mr.  Williams 
—A  Revival 238 

CHAP.  VIII. — Rewa. — New  Missionaries  with  the 
Printing-Press — Enemies  and  Persecutions — 


CONTENTS.  7 


PAGE 


Zoar — Steady  Progress  — Converts  —  Discou- 
ragements    248 

CHAP.  IX. — Progress  in  Lakemba. — The  New 
House  —  Papists  —  Tongans  —  The  King's 
Daughter — Wetasau — Conversions — Tui  Na- 
yau  confesses  Christ 264 

CHAP.    X. —  Ono    Converted. — Book-Making — 

Privations — A  Storm — Mission  Ship 276 

CHAP.  XI. — Rewa  and  Somo-Somo.— Dark  Days 
in  Rewa — War — Missionaries  leave  Rewa — 
Native  Teacher  sent — Somo-Somo  abandoned 
by  the  Missionaries 283 

CHAP.  XII. — Verani. — Veraniof  Viwa  converted 
— His  Prayer — His  Labors — Death  of  Mr. 
Hunt 294 

CHAP.  XIII. — Mbua  and  Nandi. — Christianity 
enters — Persecution — A  Hurricane —  Spread 
of  the  Truth  on  Vanua  Levu 306 

CHAP.  XIV. — Progress  of  the  Gospel. — La- 
kemba— Rewa — Death  of  Ratu  Nggara — War 
and  Peace — Converts 318 

CHAP.  XV. — Progress. — Viwa — Mbua — Church- 
Building — Peace  made— Converts  and  Schools 
— The  Nandi  Mission  broken  up 331 

CHAP.  XVI. — Day-Dawn  in  Mbau. — Cannibalism 
— War — Tanoa  dies  —  Human  Victims — Ve- 
rani slain  —  Thakombau  lotus  —  Success  at 
last 346 

Conclusion 368 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAQB 

Fijian  Head-Dresses 21 

Fijian   Head-Dresses 23 

Fijian   Head-Dresses 31 

Fijian  War-Clubs 115 

Musical.  Instruments 142 

CocoANUT  Tabu 146 

Fijian  Pottery 153 

Houses  of  Fiji 155 

Fijian  Canoe 159 

Mbure,  or  Temple  of  Na  Tavasara 1G2 

Sacred  Stones 168 

Fijian  War-Clubs 223 

Fijian  War-Clubs 283 

Mbau 346 


THE  CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    ISLANDS. 


Afar  off  in  the  Pacific  lie  the  Fiji  Islands, 
so  remote  from  us  and  so  unknown  to  us 
that  they  seem  almost  to  belong  to  another 
world. 

Every  child  at  school  learns  that  these 
islands  form  part  of  Oceanica,  that  they 
belong  to  the  division  ''  Polynesia,"  and  are 
inhabited  by  a  race  of  dark,  savage  canni- 
bals. But  here  all  information  ceases.  We 
have  histories  of  other  countries,  and  of  the 
events  which  have  brought  them  to  their 
present  condition ;  but  who  will  tell  us  aught 
concerning  the  past  history  of  the  Fiji 
Islands  ?  They  have  been  settled  for  centu- 
ries.    We  know  the  changes  in  Europe,  in 

9 


10       THE  CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

our  own  land,  and  in  most  of  the  world,  dur- 
ing that  time.  We  know  how  republics  have 
succeeded  kingdoms,  and  empires  republics. 

But  what  corresponding  changes  have 
taken  place  among  the  Fijians?  They  are 
silent  when  we  ask  them  of  the  past.  How 
should  they  know  ?  The  old  men  are  dead, 
and  they  left  no  records.  The  slight  know- 
ledge they  have  is  so  mixed  with  absurd 
stories  of  eight-headed  gods  and  under- 
ground giants,  that  it  is  impossible  to  sepa- 
rp.te  truth  from  falsehood.  We  are  obliged 
to  content  ourselves  with  the  present,  judg- 
ing that  the  antecedents  of  a  people  so  de- 
graded could  present  few  facts  either  inte- 
resting or  valuable. 

But  here  are  the  islands,  preserving  traces 
of  creation  when  all  that  God  made  was 
"  good,"  although  their  inhabitants  have  so 
long  served  Satan  that  the  image  of  God 
seems  wellnio-h  blotted  from  their  souls. 

o 

It  is  useless  to  attempt  to  paint  in  words 
the  scenery  of  these  islands,  resting  peace- 
fully within  lagoons  of  still,  dark  waters, 
encircled  by  white  coral  reefs,  beyond  which 


THE   ISLANDS.  H 

the  ocean  surges  and  roars ;  the  mountains, 
their  rugged  tops  rising  dark  and  massive 
above  the  hills,  which  are  glorious  in  tro- 
pical wealth  of  tangled  vines  and  shrubs;  the 
palm  and  banana,  the  plume-crowned  cocoa- 
nut,  the  pandanus,  disdaining  all  aid  from 
roots,  resting  on  prop-like  branches;  the 
ferns  making  an  endless  variety  of  feathery 
green;  the  gay  flowers  and  brilliant  birds. 
Words  can  give  but  a  vague  idea  of  the  pe- 
culiar beauty  of  a  South  Sea  island. 

Vulanga  presents  a  singular  appearance 
in  the  group.  It  consists  of  a  single  moun- 
tain, the  centre  of  which  is  apparently  blown 
out,  leaving  a  rim  of  broken  and  picturesque 
rocks  surrounding  a  lake  of  dark-blue  water, 
on  which  repose  miniature  isles  of  mossy 
green.  A  lake  is  also  found  in  Somo-somo ; 
but  it  is  on  the  highest  peak  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  is  lost  among  the  clouds.  It  is 
probable  that  tnis  lake  has  formed  in  the 
place  of  an  extinct  volcano. 

Many  of  the  other  islands  present  dilBferent 
and  more  beautiful  scenery.  It  is  evident 
that  most  of  them  were  originally  volcanic. 


12  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

At  present,  however,  the  volcanoes  are  ex- 
tinct ;  but  their  influence  is  still  felt  in  occa- 
sional earthquakes  and  seen  in  the  boiling 
springs. 

The  two  largest  islands  in  the  group  are 
Vanua  Levu — ''  Great  Land," — and  Na  Viti 
Levu,  or.  Great  Fiji.  The  first  is  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  long  and  twenty-five 
broad.  It  is  noted  as  being  the  only  place 
in  these  islands  where  sandal-wood  can  now 
be  obtained.  Na  Viti  Levu  is  of  a  difi'erent 
shape,  being  about  ninety  miles  in  length 
and  fifty  in  width.  It  presents  some  of  the 
finest  landscape  scenery  to  be  found  among 
the  islands.  Close  to  NaViti  Levu  is  the 
small  low  island  of  Mbau.  It  is  separated 
from  its  neighbor  by  a  low  flat  of  coral, 
which  is  fordable  even  at  high  water  and  at 
low  tide  is  nearly  dry.  Mbau  is  inferior  to 
many  of  the  other  islands  in  size  and  in  natu- 
ral advantages,  but  its  chief,  Thakombau,  now 
occupies  a  position  of  political  power  supe- 
rior to  that  of  any  other  in  the  group.  It  is 
very  thickly  settled,  and  presents  a  singular 
appearance,    with    its    numerous    thatched 


THE   ISLANDS.  13 

roofs,  from  among  which  the  high  tem- 
ples stand  prominently  forth.  Somo-somo, 
Yuna,  near  to  Mbau,  Lakemba,  a  large, 
round  island  to  the  east  of  the  others,  and 
Ovalau,  the  principal  residence  of  the  white 
settlers,  with  Mbau,  are  the  ruling  powers. 

The  islands  number,  in  all,  about  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  :  of  these  but  eighty  are 
inhabited.  The  others  are  frequently  visited 
for  fishing-purposes,  and  to  obtain  biche-de- 
mar,  or  sea-slug,  a  fish  which  is  an  im- 
portant article  in  the  trade  with  foreign 
vessels.  The  islands  lie  between  latitudes 
15°  30'  and  20°  30'  S.  and  longitudes  177° 
E.  and  178°  W.,  covering  about  forty  thou- 
sand square  miles  of  the  Pacific.  The  popu- 
lation is  given  at  150,000,  Na  Viti  Levu 
alone  having  50,000  inhabitants.  But  in  the 
Fiji,  as  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the  popu- 
lation is  yearly  diminishing,  some  of  the 
smaller  islands  in  the  last  fifty  years  having 
been  entirely  depopulated,  while  in  the 
larger  the  decrease  is  manifest. 

The  Fiji  Islands  were  discovered  in  1643^ 
by  Abel  Jasman,  a  Dutch  navigator.    After 

2 


14  TKt   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

that  time  they  were  unvisited  until  Captain 
Cook,  passing  them^  touched  at  one  of  the 
most  remote,  which  he  named  Turtle  Island, 
but  which  is  better  known  as  Vatoa.  They 
were  subsequently  visited  by  'various  navi- 
gators, but  little  was  known  of  them,  save 
from  the  traders  in  sandal -wood  and  biche- 
de-mar. 

Now,  however,  our  knowledge  of  them 
is  much  extended,  since  we  have  accounts 
from  British  and  French  navigators,  from 
the  United  States  Exploring  Expedition 
under  Captain  (now  Admiral)  Wilkes,  in 
1840,  and  particularly  from  the  recent  work 
of  the  Wesleyan  missionaries. 

In  1804,  a  company  of  twenty-seven 
convicts  escaped  from  New  South  Wales, 
and  fled  to  Fiji  for  liberty  and  license.  This 
desperate  band  settled  at  Mbau  and  Eewa, 
where,  free  from  all  restraint,  they  went 
into  such  excesses  as  to  astonish  even  the 
natives,  vile  as  they  were.  The  chiefs,  how- 
ever, were  glad  to  secure  the  co-operation 
of  the  whites  on  the  easy  terms  of  allowing 
them  unlimited  power  over  the  persons  and 


THE   ISLANDS.-  15 

property  of  the  common  peojile.  Their 
superior  knowledge,  and  the  mysterious  fire- 
arms, which  to  the  Fijians  appeared  super- 
natural, might  easily  have  secured  to  them 
absolute  dominion  over  the  islands,  had  their 
ambition  led  them  to  seek  empire ;  but  they 
were  indifferent  to  every  thing  except  the 
indulgence  of  their  indolence  and  evil  pas- 
sions. 

The  most  influential  among  them  were 
Savage  and  Conner.  Savage  appears  to 
have  been  the  least  debased  and  most  hu- 
mane among  them;  yet  by  the  natives, 
whom  he  oppressed  in  common  with  his 
comrades,  he  was  completely  detested,  and 
when,  after  nine  years'  residence  among  them, 
he  was  accidentally  drowned,  they  rescued  his 
remains,  and,  contrary  to  their  usual  custom 
of  not  eating  white  men,  they  held  a  grand 
cannibal  feast  over  his  body. 

Conner  lived  at  Eewa,  where  he  exerted 
an  influence  equal  to  that  of  Savage  at 
Mbau.  In  the  days  when  his  power  was 
unlimited,  the  exercise  of  it  was  fearful. 
Mr.  Williams  says  that  to  the  influence  of 


13  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

these  two  men  is  owing  the  present  supe- 
riority of  Mbau  and  Eewa, — the  former 
having  long  been  the  most  powerful  state 
in  Fiji. 

The  present  white  residents  form  a 
very  influential  class.  Although  generally 
extremely  ignorant  themselves,  they  are 
anxious  to  have  their  children  educated. 
For  this  object,  the  missionaries  now  have  a 
schoolmaster  from  England  stationed  with 
them  at  Ovalau. 

Besides  the  advantages  of  trade  and  an 
easy,  indolent  life,  there  is  much  in  the 
climate  and  beauty  of  these  isles  to  tempt 
the  sailor  to  tarry  among  them.  To  the 
educated  man  the  objects  of  interest  differ 
so  much  from  those  in  his  own  land  that  the 
novelty  is  in  itself  a  charm. 

Some  of  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of 
coral  formation  are  found  here.  Stretching 
along  the  shore,  the  reefs  encircle  groups  of 
islands,  making  the  scene  peculiarly  beau- 
tiful, and  forming  safe  harbors  for  vessels. 
Yet  they  make  navigation  both  difficult  and 
dangerous;  and  many  a  brave  ship,  sailing 


THE   ISLANDS.  17 

over  the  smootti  water,  ignorant  of  the 
hidden  reef,  has  suddenly  struck  and  gone 
down. 

Although  the  islands  lie  within  the  tro- 
pics, the  heat  is  so  tempered  by  breezes  from 
the  ocean  that  at  certain  seasons  the  cli- 
mate is  delightful;  but  the  native  dreads 
the  season  of  the  north  winds,  the  takalau, 
which  rarefy  the  air  to  a  most  painful 
degree  during  their  continuaace.  On  the 
leeward  side  of  the  islands  the  vegetation 
appears  burnt  and  dying  from  the  excessive 
heat  and  lack  of  moisture;  but  on  the 
windward  side  the  clouds  are  arrested  in 
their  progress,  and  give  abundant  and  re- 
freshing showers,  making  the  rich  tropical 
foliage  put  on  its  most  luxuriant  hue.  In 
this  latitude  there  are,  of  course,  periodical 
rains,  succeeded  by  long  seasons  of  clear 
skies.  The  rainy  season  is  from  October  to 
April.  In  Mr.  Williams's  journal  is  a  record 
of  a  rain  lasting  forty-five  days,  which  was 
preceded  by  one  of  twenty-four,  with  the 
brief  interval  of  three  or  four  clear  ones. 

2* 


18  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    ISLANDERS. 

Far  from  any  mainland,  the  Fijians  hold 
intercourse  only  with  the  Tongans,  who  are 
their  nearest  island-neighbors.  We  may 
wonder  from  what  country  and  how  the 
Fijians  came  to  these  islands,  and  of  what 
race  they  are;  but  our  conjectures  are  met 
by  the  Fijian  himself  with  a  careless  laugh. 
Why  should  he  care  where  he  came  from? 
He  is  there.  Each  one  has  his  own  story  to 
tell  of  the  origin  of  mankind  in  general  and 
of  the  Fijian  in  particular.  If  we  are  curious 
to  learn  something  of  their  traditions,  it  may 
be  well  to  listen;  but,  if  we  wish  to  gain 
knowledge,  we  had  best  turn  to  other 
sources  of  information. 

The  islands  of  the  South  Pacific  are 
peopled  by  two  distinct  races,  the  Malayo- 
Polynesian  and  the  Papuan.     The  Polyne- 


THE    ISLANDERS.  19 

sian  is  of  a  light-yellow  or  copperish  color, 
the  Papuan  is  black.  The  hair  of  the  former 
is  long  and  straight,  the  latter  short  and 
frizzled.  There  are  many  other  points  of 
difference ;  but  these  are  sufficient  to  show- 
how  unlike  they  are.  To  which  of  these  do 
the  Fijians  belong  ?  To  neither,  exclusively. 
The  people  of  the  various  islands  around  them 
plainly  belong  to  one  of  the  two  races ;  but 
in  the  Fijian  their  traits  meet  and  mingle, 
showing  that  he  is  descended  from  both. 

Their  complexions  vary  considerably. 
Some  of  them  are  very  dark,  while  others 
are  light.  Their  hair  is  curled ;  but  whether 
it  would  have  been  so  had  the  dressing  been 
left  to  nature,  it  is  impossible  to  decide. 
They  are  tall  and  well  formed.  The  chiefs, 
particularly,  present  a  fine,  muscular  ap- 
pearance; and  many  of  the  women  are  re- 
markable for  beauty  and  grace. 

The  face  is  oval ;  the  mouth  large,  some- 
times negro-like  in  form,  but  often  thin- 
lipped  ;  the  teeth  are  white  and  regular,  the 
nose  straight,  with  full  nostrils ;  the  eye  is 
black,  quick,  and  penetrating,  and  the  ex- 


20  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

pression  of  countenance  intelligent  and  saga- 
cious. Occasionally  albinos  (white-skinned 
persons)  are  seen,  but  not  often.  They 
suffer  much  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and 
keep  their  light  eyes  half  closed  through 
the  day,  unable  to  bear  the  glare. 

The  Queen  of  Eewa  is  described  as  having 
been  a  most  beautiful  woman,  and  as  still 
retaining  traces  of  her  beauty.  The  follow- 
ing description  of  her  half-brother,  Tha- 
kombau,  of  Mbau,  is  not  without  parallel 
among  them,  for  many  of  the  chiefs  are  ex- 
tremely handsome.  Captain  Erskine,  who 
met  him,  says, — 

''It  was  impossible  not  to  admire  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  chief :  of  large,  almost  gi- 
gantic size,  his  limbs  were  beautifully  formed 
and  proportioned  ;  his  countenance,  with  far 
less  of  the  negro  cast  than  among  the  lower 
orders,  agreeable  and  intelligent ;  while  his 
immense  head  of  hair,  covered  and  con- 
cealed with  gauze,  smoke-dried  and  slightly 
tinged  with  brown,  gave  him  altogether  the 
appearance  of  an  Eastern  sultan.  No  gar- 
ments  confined   his   magnificent  chest  and 


THE   ISLANDERS.  21 

neck,  or  concealed  the  natural  color  of  the 
skin, — a  clear  but  decided  black ;  and,  in 
spite  of  this  paucity  of  attire, — the  evident 
wealth  which  surrounded  him  showing  that  it 
was  a  matter  of  choice  and  not  of  necessity, 
— he  looked  'every  inch  a  king.'" 

The  most  striking  part  of  the  Fijian's  ap- 
pearance is  his  enormous  head  of  hair, 
which  to  him  is  an  object  of  untiring  and 
intense  interest. 

We  wonder  at  the  ladies  of  former  times, 
who  on  grand  gala-days  submitted  with 
patience  to  the  tedious  operation  of  having 
their  hair  dressed  in  imitation  of  baskets  of 
fruit  and  flowers.  We  laugh  at  the  Scottish 
ladies  who,  when  King  George  IV.  visited 
Holyrood,  were  so  anxious  to  have  their 
heads  fashionably  dressed,  that  they  yielded 
them  to  the  hands  of  the  busy  barber  days 
before  the  court  reception. 

But  here  we  find  the  savage  Fijian  under- 
going the  same  trouble  and  inconvenience, 
not  for  a  week  or  a  few  days,  but  throughout 
his  whole  life.  Every  chief  keeps  a  full 
complement  of  barbers.     These  are  persona 


22  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

of  importance  and  dignity,  their  hands  being 
sacredly  devoted  to  their  master's  head. 
They  never  feed  themselves.  Captain  Hud- 
son saw  a  barber  of  the  King  of  Eewa  drink- 
ing his  ava,  which  was  held  to  his  lips  by 
an  attendant.  His  cigar  was  lighted  and 
placed  in  his  mouth  by  a  servant's  hand, 
and  all  his  wants  cared  for  in  the  same 
manner. 

The  operation  of  dressing  the  chiefs  hair 
is  a  laborious  one.  The  barber  first  anoints 
the  hair  with  oil,  generally  mixed  with  black, 
though  sometimes  with  fancy  colors.  He 
then  takes  a  long  tortoise-shell  pin,  and 
twitches  every  hair  till  they  all  stand  up- 
right ;  then  he  carefully  singes  the  whole,  so 
that  it  assumes  a  wonderful  regularity  of 
outline.  ''Some  heads  are  finished  nearly 
like  an  English  counsellor's  wig.  In  some 
the  head  is  a  spherical  mass  of  jet-black 
hair,  with  a  white  roll  in  front,  as  broad  as 
the  hand ;  or,  in  lieu  of  this,  a  white  oblong 
occupies  the  length  of  the  forehead,  the 
black  passing  down  on  each  side.  In  either 
case  the  black  projects  farther.     Not  a  few 


THE   ISLANDEES.  23 

are  so  ingeniously  grotesque  as  to  appear  as 
if  done  purposely  to  excite  laughter.  One 
has  a  large  knot  of  fiery  hair  on  his  crown, 
all  the  rest  of  the  head  being  bald.  Another 
has  the  most  of  his  hair  cut  away,  leaving 
three  or  four  rows  of  small  clusters,  as  if  his 
head  were  planted  with  small  paint-brushes. 
A  third  has  his  head  bare,  except  where  a 
large  patch  projects  over  each  temple.  One, 
two,  or  three  cords  of  twisted  hair  often  fall 
from  the  right  temple,  a  foot  or  eighteen 
inches  long.  Some  men  wear  a  number  of 
these  braids,  so  as  to  form  a  curtain  at  the 
back  of  the  neck,  reaching  from  one  ear  to 
the  other.  A  mode  that  requires  great  care 
has  the  hair  wrought  into  distinct  locks, 
radiating  from  the  head.  Each  lock  is  a 
perfect  cone,  about  seven  inches  long,  having 
the  base  outwards ;  so  that  the  surface  of 
the  hair  is  marked  out  into  a  great  number 
of  small  circles,  the  ends  beina;  turned  in,  in 
each  lock,  towards  the  centre  of  the  cone. 
The  violent  motions  of  the  dance  do  not  dis- 
turb these  elaborate  preparations;  but  great 


24  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

care  is  taken  to  preserve  them  from  the 
effects  of  the  dew  or  rain." 

The  circumference  of  this  mass  is  often 
three  feet,  and  sometimes  five. 

As  lying  on  this  extensive  arrangement 
would  destroy  it,  and  oblige  the  chief  to 
have  it  renewed  every  day,  he  uses  a  small 
wooden  stool,  which  he  places  under  his 
neck,  regardless  of  the  large  lumps  raised 
by  it. 

When  he  travels,  he  carries  his  stool  with 
him.  These  stools  are  in  use  in  many  of 
the  Pacific  Islands,  but  are  generally  carved 
to  fit  the  neck.  The  Fijian  makes  his 
simply  of  a  round  stick  or  log,  supported  by 
curved  legs. 

The  hair  of  the  boy  is  kept  short,  to  make 
it  grow  more  abundantly.  Great  pains  are 
taken  by  the  mother  to  spread  it  out  and 
prepare  it  for  the  grand  toilet  of  manhood. 

The  hair  of  the  girl  is  allowed  to  grow, 
and  when  dressed  it  falls  around  the  head 
and  over  the  eyes  like  a  mop.  Married 
women  wear  their  hair  in  the  same  style  as 
the  men,  but   less   in   size.     They  are  not 


THE    ISLANDERS.  25 

allowed  to  use  the  black  powder,  but  gene- 
rally substitute  red. 

The  barbers  are  very  expert  in  making 
wigs,  which  defy  detection,  when  a  chief  is 
obliged  thus  to  supply  his  deficiency  of  hair. 

The  dress  of  the  people  consists  of  a 
turban  and  masi  or  sash.  The  turbans 
are  from  four  to  six  feet  in  length,  of  a 
thin,  gauze-like  material,  generally  smoke- 
colored.  They  last  but  a  short  time;  and 
the  chiefs,  therefore,  keep  a  large  supply  on 
hand,  neatly  folded,  in  lengths  of  fifteen 
inches  and  about  an  inch  broad.  The  turban 
is  of  great  importance,  and  is  worn  by  all 
Fijians  of  respectability,  excepting  such  as 
are  forbidden  its  use.  It  is  wrapped  around 
the  head,  and  fastened  either  in  front,  on  the 
top,  or  at  the  side,  in  a  neat  bow.  King  Tanoa, 
the  father  of  Thakombau,  wore  a  very  large 
and  full  one,  coming  down  over  the  forehead 
to  the  eyes  and  hanging  in  heavy  folds  on 
the  right  side.  Some  young  chiefs  of  taste 
wrap  it  lightly  around  the  head  and  allow 
the  long  ends  to  float  down  the  back. 

In  their  dress,  scanty  as  it  is,  the  Fijians 

3 


26  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

display  great  care  and  pride.  In  judging 
of  this  matter  it  is  very  difficult  for  a  civil- 
ized stranger  to  form  a  right  opinion,  in- 
fluenced as  he  must  be  by  the  convention- 
alities of  costume  to  which  he  is  accustomed. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  cha- 
racter of  the  climate  and  the  quality  of 
their  skin  both  render  dress,  as  far  as  mere 
utility  is  concerned,  unnecessary  :  the  people, 
therefore,  ought  to  receive  full  credit  for 
modesty  in  the  partial  covering  which  they 
adopt,  and  about  the  use  of  which  they  are 
scrupulously  particular. 

The  dress  of  the  men  is  a  kind  of  sash 
of  white,  brown,  or  figured  masi,  varying 
in  length  from  three  to  a  hundred  yards. 
Six  or  ten  yards,  however,  is  the  usual 
measure.  This  sash  is  passed  between  the 
legs,  and  wound  two  or  three  times  round 
the  loins,  securing  one  end  in  front,  so  as  to 
fall  over  to  the  knees  like  a  curtain ;  the  end 
behind  is  fastened  in  a  bunch,  or  left  to  trail 
on  the  ground. 

The  dress  of  the  women  consists  of  a  liku, 
or  fringed   band,  worn  around   the   waist. 


THE    ISLANDERS.  27 

It  is  beautifully  braided  from  bark,  fibre,  or 
grass,  with  a  fringe  from  three  to  ten  inches 
deep.  The  liku  is  tied  at  the  side, — the  ends 
on  holidays  being  sufficiently  long  to  form  a 
train. 

The  Fijian  is  very  fond  of  ornaments. 
Flowers,  beautifully  formed  into  wreaths  and 
chaplets,  are  much  used  for  this  purpose. 
Cocks'  feathers  are  very  frequently  worn  in 
their  hair;  and  chiefs  wear  a  band  of  hibis- 
cus bark  around  their  heads,  in  which  the 
gay  feathers  of  the  paroquet  are  stuck  with 
the  gum  of  the  bread-fruit  tree. 

Breast-ornaments  of  large  pearl  shells,  of 
circular  or  crescent  shape,  or  made  of  boars' 
tusks,  are  very  common.  The  noblest  chiefs 
wear  beautiful  orange- colored  sea-shells  : 
these  are  prized  very  highly,  and  often,  on 
great  occasions,  are  loaned  by  one  to  the 
other. 

Both  sexes  wear  ear-ornaments, — the 
women  piercing  but  one  ear,  the  men  both. 
The  lobe  of  the  ear  is  sometimes  distended 
to  an  enormous  size,  admitting  a  ring  of  ten 
inches   in   circumference.      The  ornaments 


28  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

are  never  pendent,  but  generally  oblong, 
passing  through  the  orifice.  In  order  to 
make  this  large  enough,  they  use  pieces  of 
wood,  shell,  or  rolls  of  tapa.  White  and 
pink  armlets,  and  others  made  of  a  black 
wiry  root,  or  white  cowries,  ivory  and  shell 
finger-rings,  knee  and  ankle  bands  with  a 
I'ose-shaped  knot,  are  much  worn ;  ivory, 
tortoise-shell,  dogs'  teeth,  bats'  jaws,  snake- 
vertebrse,  native  beads  ground  out  of  shells, 
and  foreign  beads  of  glass,  are  formed  into 
necklaces,  the  latter  being  generally  braided 
into  neat  bands. 

In  addition  to  this  assortment,  the  teeth 
of  the  victims  of  war  are  worn,  and  highly 
prized.  Bank  is  indicated  by  the  position 
of  the  long  hair  pricker,  or  comb.  The 
king,  or  great  chief,  wears  his  in  front;  the 
next  in  rank,  a  little  to  the  side ;  while  the 
common  people  wear  theirs  back  behind  the 
ear. 

The  women  have  one  original  method  of 
ornamenting  themselves.  They  dip  their 
heads  in  a  thick  liquid,  prepared  from  the 
ashes  of  the  bread-fruit  tree,  till  the  hair  is 


THE    ISLANDERS.  29 

well  soaked,  and  then,  raising  tlieii  heads, 
they  allow  the  preparation  to  run  down  over 
their  faces  and  bodies.  The  zigzag  lines 
thus  formed,  called  ndraou,  are  considered 
very  ornamental. 

The  higher  classes  are  careful  to  keep 
themselves  well  oiled,  and  at  all  times  to 
present  an  imposing  appearance ;  but  the 
lower  ranks  are  often  very  slovenly. 

Tattooing  is  used  principally  by  the  fe- 
males. The  young  women  have  barbed 
lines  on  their  hands  and  fingers,  while  those 
more  advanced  in  years  ingeniously  conceal 
their  coming  wrinkles  by  deep-blue  lines. 
The  operation  is  performed  solely  by  them- 
selves. They  use  a  long  tooth,  fixed  in  a 
handle,  called  a  hati-ni-ngia,  dipped  in  a 
pigment  consisting  of  charcoal  and  the  oil 
of  the  candle-nut.  The  patterns  are  first 
drawn  on  the  body;  the  blackened  tooth  is 
then  driven  in  by  violent  blows  struck  with 
a  piece  of  sugar-cane.  The  process  occu- 
pies several  months;  but,  prolonged  and 
severe  as  the  pain  generally  is,  it  is  willingly 
endured,  from  both   pride  and   fear.     The 

.  3* 


30  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

latter  feeling  arises  from  the  belief  that,  if 
they  die  uiitattooed,  their  own  sex,  armed 
with  sharp  shells,  will  eternally  pursue 
them  in  the  next  world  through  the  most 
frightful  scenes.  So  strong  is  this  super- 
stition that,  when  girls  die  before  the  opera- 
tion is  performed,  their  friends  frequently 
paint  the  marks  on  their  bodies,  in  order  to 
deceive  the  priests  and  gods. 

The  lower  classes  are  tattooed  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  but  women  of  rank  not  until 
after  marriage. 

In  the  Tonga  Islands  the  men  are  tattooed 
instead  of  the  women.  The  Fijians  humor- 
ously say  the  reason  of  this  reversing  of 
the  custom  was,  that  a  Tongan  who  was 
going  to  tell  his  people  of  the  custom  re- 
peated, as  he  went  along,  so  that  he  might 
not  forget,  ''Tattoo  the  women,  and  not  the 
men.  Tattoo  the  women,  not  the  men;"  but, 
knocking  his  foot  against  a  stone,  he  re- 
versed the  order  in  his  pain,  and  carried  to 
his  people  the  intelligence  that  they  were  to 
^'tattoo  the  men,  and  not  the  women." 


THE    ISLANDERS.  31 

Both  sexes  paint  their  faces  with  great 
variety  in  device  and  color. 

The  Fijian,  with  his  hair  dressed  in  the 
most  elaborate  style,  his  body  well  oiled  and 
face  grotesquely  painted,  a  floating  train, 
sometimes  fifty  yards  in  length,  a  new  tur- 
ban, and  his  finest  ornaments,  desires  nothing 
to  complete  his  happiness  but  a  looking-glass, 
and  a  circls  of  admirers  around  him. 


32  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTEK  III. 


FIJIAN    CHARACTER. 


Intellectually  the  Fijian  holds  a  high 
rank  among  the  savage  nations.  Debased 
and  degraded  as  he  is,  there  are  yet  many 
fine  points  in  his  character  which  challenge 
our  admiration  and  excite  our  sympathies. 
In  him  we  find  no  dull,  stupid  savage,  in- 
sensible to  every  thing  but  the  indulgence 
of  his  own  passions,  nor,  again,  do  we  find 
the  high  mental  development  to  which  some 
heathen  nations  have  attained.  We  see  a 
man  of  quick  perceptions,  discriminating 
mind,  acute  feelings,  of  strong  will,  govern- 
ing his  passions,  when  he  wills  so  to  do, 
loyal  and  faithful  to  his  friend,  but  the  most 
deadly  of  foes  to  his  enemy. 

The  Fijian's  vices  must  be  noted,  to  under- 
stand him  as  he  is.  Prominent  among  them 
is  his  pride, — a  pride  seen  in  every  look  and 


FIJIAN    CHARACTER.  33 

action.  His  jr^ersonal  vanity  is  great;  and 
nis  pride  of  country  ranks  only  second  to 
that.  He  is  not  only  unwilling  to  think 
reasonably  of  his  own  truly  beautiful  land, 
but  will  not  hear  of  other  countries  which 
he  suspects  to  be  in  any  respect  superior. 
After  Captain  Wilkes  pointed  out  Fiji  on  a 
globe  to  some  natives,  and  they  saw  its  di- 
minutive size,  they  refused  to  look  at  the  globe, 
telling  their  friends  it  was  *'a  lying  ball," 

It  will  not,  therefore,  excite  surprise  that 
a  travelled  Fijian  commands  little  respect 
from  his  countrymen.  His  superior  know- 
ledge makes  him  offensive  to  his  chiefs  and 
irksome  to  his  equals.  A  Eewa  man  who 
had  been  to  the  United  States  was  ordered 
by  his  chiefs  to  say  whether  the  country  of 
the  white  man  was  better  than  Fiji,  and  in 
what  respects.  He  begged  them  to  excuse 
him  from  speaking  on  that  subject;  but 
without  avail.  He  had  not  gone  far  in 
telling  the  truth,  when  one  cried  out,  "  He  is 
a  prating  fellow;"  another,  ''He  is  impu- 
dent." Some  said,  '^Kill  him!  It  is  natural 
that   a    foreigner   should    thus   speak,    but 


34  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

unpardonable  in  a  Fijian."  The  luckless  tra- 
veller, finding  his  opinions  so  little  relished, 
made  a  hasty  retreat,  leaving  his  enraged 
betters  to  cool  down  at  leisure. 

Nothing  will  offend  a  Fijian  more  quickly 
than  a  slight.  If  the  suffering  individual  is 
a  woman,  she  will  sit  down, — the  more  public 
the  place  the  better, — and  sigh,  sob,  and 
whine,  until  she  gets  a  good  start,  when  she 
will  trust  to  the  strength  of  her  lungs  to  let 
every  one  within  hearing  know  that  one  of 
their  species  is  injured.  A  reflection  on  a 
woman's  character,  her  rank,  her  child,  her 
domestic  qualifications,  or  any  one  of  a  hun- 
dred other  things,  gives  sufficient  occasion 
for  a  wearisome  cry.  Nor  is  this  demon- 
stration restricted  to  females :  men  adopt  it 
also.  "I  once,"  says  a  missionary,  "saw 
four  villages  roused,  and  many  of  the  in- 
habitants under  arms,  in  consequence  of  a 
man  crying  in  this  style  : — '  War  !  war !  Will 
no  one  kill  me,  that  I  may  join  the  shade  of 
my  father?  War!  war!'  This  was  the  cry 
which,  one  clear  day,  sounded  with  singular 
distinctness  through  the  air,  and  drew  many 


FIJIAN   CHAEACTER.  35 

beside  myself  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where 
we  found  a  little  Mata  goaded  to  despera- 
tion, because  his  friend,  without  consulting 
him,  had  cut  several  yards  from  some  native 
cloth  which  was  their  joint  property.  To 
be  treated  so  rudely  made  the  little  man 
loathe  life ;  and  hence  the  alarm.  A  native 
of  Mbau  put  together  the  frame  of  a  house, 
and  then  applied  to  his  friends,  in  due  form, 
for  help  to  thatch  it.  They  readily  assented ; 
but,  in  the  course  of  the  conversation  which 
ensued,  a  remark  was  made  that  touched 
the  pride  of  the  applicant,  who  angrily  re- 
solved to  make  the  unfinished  house  a  monu- 
ment of  his  high  stomach,  by  leaving  it  to 
rot,  as  it  actually  did,  in  front  of  my  own 
dwelling." 

Lying  is  much  easier  to  them  than  speak- 
ing the  truth :  an  adroit  liar  is  highly  es- 
teemed. A  Fijian  understands  so  well  this 
habit  of  his  people,  that,  if  he  wishes  a 
foreigner  to  speak  the  truth,  he  charges  him 
not  to  speak  "after  the  fashion  of  Fiji." 

The  universal  existence  of  this  habit  is 
so  thoroughly  taken  for  granted,  that  it  is 


86  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

common  to  bear,  after  the  most  ordinary 
statement,  the  rejoinder,  ''That's  a  lie,"  or 
something  to  the  same  effect,  at  which  the 
accused  person  does  not  think  of  taking 
offence.  Any  thing  marvellous,  on  the  other 
hand,  meets  with  ready  credence.  "Walk- 
ing, with  a  shrewd  old  native  for  my  guide, 
on  Vanua  Levu,"  says  a  missionary,  ''he 
directed  my  attention  to  some  stones  at  the 
side  of  the  path.  '  These,'  said  he,  '  mark  the 
place  where  a  giant  was  slain  while  I  was  a 
little  boy.  This  stone  marks  where  his  head 
lay,  that  where  his  knees,  and  these  where 
bis  feet  reached.'  Measuring  the  distance 
with  my  walking-staff,  I  found  it  twenty-five 
feet  six  inches !  '  Well  done,  Fiji !'  I  shouted. 
The  old  man  was  startled  by  my  incredulity, 
for  he  evidently  believed  the  tale." 

They  are  very  ready  to  confess  if  they 
are  detected;  and  the  pride  at  having  forged 
a  good  lie  prevents  mortification  at  dis- 
covery. The  missionaries  say  the  pleasure 
the  people  take  in  the  practice  is  so  great 
that  they  often  tell  an  untruth  when  the 
contrary  would  be  more  to  their  advantage. 


FIJIAN    CHAEACTER.  37 

As  truth  is  the  basis  of  Christian  character, 
it  would  seem  that  the  "father  of  lies"  has 
skilfully  planned  the  utter  subjugation  of 
their  souls  by  making  this  trait  their  ruling 
vice. 

Mr.  Williams  said,  ''The  expectation  of 
an  order  to  set  about  some  difficult  job 
often  makes  a  man  wear  his  arm  in  a  sling. 
Another,  while  seeming  to  work  with  fearful 
exertion,  is  all  the  time  careful  not  to  strain 
a  single  muscle;  and  the  appearance  of  seek- 
ing a  neighbor's  good  while  only  intent  on 
their  own  is  shown  continually." 

Hardly  any  thing  is  so  humiliating  to 
them  as  to  be  betrayed  into  a  display  of 
anger.  But,  as  smouldering  fires  are  most 
dangerous  when  they  break  forth,  so  when 
a  Fijian  is  surprised  into  an  outburst  of 
anger  the  sight  is  terrible.  The  rage  of  a 
civilized  man  in  comparison  with  what  then 
follows  is  like  the  tossings  of  a  restless 
babe.  A  savage,  fully  developed,  physically 
and  morally,  is  exhibited.  The  forehead  is 
suddenly  filled  with  wrinkles,  the  large  nos- 
trils distend  and  smoke,  the  staring  eyeballs 


38  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

grow  red  and  gleam  with  terrible  flashings, 
the  mouth  is  stretched  into  a  murderous  and 
disdainful  grin,  the  whole  body  quivers  with 
excitement;  every  muscle  is  strained,  and 
the  clenched  fist  seems  eager  to  bathe  itself 
in  the  blood  of  him  who  has  roused  this 
demon  of  fury.  When  anger  is  kept  continu- 
ally under  the  curb,  it  frequently  results  in 
sullenness.  Pride  and  anger  combined  often 
lead  to  self-destruction.  A  chief  on  Thithia 
was  addressed  disrespectfully  by  a  younger 
brother :  rather  than  live  to  have  the  insult 
made  the  topic  of  common  talk,  he  loaded 
his  musket,  placed  the  muzzle  at  his  breast, 
and,  pushing  the  trigger  with  his  toe,  shot 
himself  through  the  heart. 

They  are  most  skilful  hypocrites,  and  can 
dissimulate  to  perfection:  so  that  the  most 
savage  cannibal  will  appear  to  be  humane 
and  gentle  before  a  foreigner  whose  esteem 
he  wishes  to  gain.  Captain  Erskine  says 
that  while  at  tea  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Lyth, 
the  missionary  then  at  Wiva,  Ngavindi,  the 
chief  of  Mbau,  came  in.  ''He  was  appa- 
rently under  thirty  years  of  age,  of  very  fine 


FIJIAN   CHARACTER.  39 

figure  and  proportions,  and  altogether  of 
prepossessing  appearance.  His  face  was 
painted  red;  and  the  chief's  white  gauze 
turban  covered  his  large  head  of  hair.  He 
wore  no  covering  but  the  ordinary  wrapper, 
but  had  a  boar's  tusk,  nearly  circular,  sus- 
pended from  his  neck;  and  he  carried  a 
large  flat-headed  club,  well  battered,  as  if 
by  service,  about  the  blade,  which  was 
daubed  with  red  ochre.  He  took  his  place 
with  perfect  ease  at  the  table,  being  kindly 
received  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyth,  who  pre- 
sented him  to  us.  His  manners  were  mo- 
dest and  gentle ;  and  he  left  us  even  more 
pleased  with  him  than  we  had  been  with 
Tui  Levuka." 

Captain  Erskine  was  half  incredulous 
when  he  was  told  that  this  man  was  noto- 
rious for  ferocity  and  savage  cruelty,  and 
an  active  participator  in  the  awful  canniba, 
scenes  at  Mbau  when  the  Mbutoni  visited 
Mbau  to  pay  their  tribute. 

In  social  diplomacy  the  Fijian  is  very 
cautious  and  clever.  That  he  ever  paid  a 
visit  merely  en  passant,  is  hard  to  be  be- 


40  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

lieved.  If  no  request  leaves  his  lips,  he  has 
brought  the  desire,  and  only  waits  for  a 
good  chance  to  present  it  now,  or  prepare 
the  way  for  its  favorable  reception  at  some 
other  time.  Rarely  will  he  fail  to  read  your 
countenance ;  and  the  case  must  be  urgent 
indeed  which  obliges  him  to  ask  a  favor 
when  he  sees  a  frown.  The  more  important 
he  feels  his  business,  the  more  earnestly  he 
protests  that  he  has  none  at  all ;  and  the 
subject  uppermost  in  his  thoughts  comes 
last  to  his  lips,  or  is  not  even  named ;  for  he 
will  make  a  second  or  even  a  third  visit 
rather  than  risk  a  failure  through  precipi- 
tancy. If  it  serves  his  purpose,  he  will  study 
difficult  and  peculiar  characters,  reserving 
the  results  for  future  use ;  if,  afterwards,  he 
wishes  to  please  them,  he  will  know  how, 
and  if  to  annoy  them,  it  will  be  done  most 
exactly. 

Great  command  of  temper,  and  power  to 
conceal  his  emotions,  are  often  displayed  by 
the  Fijian.  Let  some  one,  for  instance, 
bring  a  valuable  present  to  a  chief  from 
whom  he  seeks  a  favor,  it  wUl  be  regarded 


FIJIAN    CHAEACTER.  41 

with  chilling  indiflPerence,  although  it  is  of 
all  things  what  the  delighted  superior  most 
wished  to  possess. 

When  Captain  Wilkes  was  one  day  enter- 
taining the  Queen  of  Mathuataand  her  ladies, 
on  one  of  his  ships,  they  were  in  the  cabin 
looking  at  engravings.  The  ladies  seemed 
to  be  somewhat  bored  with  the  exhibition, 
when  the  queen  suddenly  noticed  the  fact, 
and  spoke  to  them  in  an  authoritative  tone. 
They  immediately  brightened  up,  and  chat- 
tered so  merrily  and  seemed  so  interested 
that  the  captain  asked  the  interpreter  what 
they  had  seen  that  pleased  them  so  much. 
"  Nothing,"  was  the  reply.  '*  The  queen  said, 
'  Why  don't  you  seem  pleased  ?  why  don't 
you  laugh  ?'  " 

The  plastic  ladies  took  the  hint,  and  repaid 
the  captain  for  his  civility  with  the  most  de- 
lighted smiles  of  interest  and  gratitude. 

The  conduct  of  Absalom  towards  his  bro- 
ther Amnon  is  exactly  descriptive  of  what 
often  happens  in  Fiji : — ''And  Absalom  spake 
unto  his  brother  Amnon  neither  good  nor 
bad ;  for  Absalom  hated  Amnon." 


42  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Mr.  Williams  was  personally  acquainted 
with  the  chief  parties  in  the  following  tra- 
gedy, which  serves  to  illustrate  the  charac- 
teristic just  noted.  Tui  Wainunu,  the  prin- 
cipal actor,  was  himself  his  informant.  In 
the  year  1851,  his  cousin  Mbatinamu  of 
Mbau  was  slain.  Shortly  after  Mbatinamu's 
death,  part  of  a  tribe  from  the  district  where 
he  fell  visited  Tui  Wainunu  with  a  present 
of  pottery,  and  were  entertained  by  him  for 
several  days.  One  day  when  the  party  from 
Na  Mbuna  were  conversing  with  Tui  Wai- 
nunu, their  chief,  ignorant  of  their  enter- 
tainer's connection  with  Mbau,  mentioned 
Mbatinamu,  saying  that  he  was  a  fine  young 
chief.  Tui  Wainunu's  suspicions  were  at 
once  excited,  and  he,  pretending  entire  igno- 
rance of  the  deceased  chief,  made  several 
inquiries  about  him.  This  had  the  desired 
effect.  The  Mbuna  chief  gave  Mbatinamu's 
history,  concluding  thus  : — "  I  struck  him  to 
the  earth,  and  was  deaf  to  his  entreaties  for 
life."  After  describing  how  the  corpse  lay, 
he  added,  ''  I  turned  it  upon  its  back,  cut 
out  the  tongue  by  the  roots,  and  ate  it  my- 


FIJIAN   CHARACTER.  43 

self !  And  see  this  cord,  by  which  my  chest- 
key  is  suspended  from  my  neck;  it  was 
braided  of  the  ornamental  tufts  of  hair  cut 
from  his  head."  ''And  did  you  eat  his 
tongue?"  calmly  asked  the  listener.  "Yes," 
was  the  reply,  "  I  killed  him,  and  ate  his 
tongue."  The  guest  was  already  a  dead  man 
in  Tui  "Wainunu's  estimation,  but  the  execu- 
tion of  his  vengeance  was  deferred  until  the 
eve  of  his  visitor's  departure.  Then,  after 
midnight,  Tui  Wainunu  called  around  him 
a  few  trusty  men  and  walked  with  them  to 
the  house  where  the  victims  slept.  A  blow 
on  the  wall,  from  the  chief's  heavy  club, 
woke  the  inmates,  who,  before  they  could 
recover  from  their  surprise,  were  ordered 
out  to  die,  while  the  wrathful  avenger  cried, 
"And  can  you  fly,  that  you  will  escape  from 
me  ?"  The  first  who  came  out  was  placed 
in  the  custody  of  an  attendant.  The  next 
fell  with  his  skull  smashed,  and  the  next, 
and  the  next,  until  eleven  dead  or  dying 
men  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  executioners.  Two 
women  of  the  party  were  kept  as  slaves, 
and  the  man  who  came  out  first  managed 


44  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

to  escape  in  the  confusion.  All  the  rest, 
without  the  slightest  warning,  were  suddenly 
butchered,  and  their  bodies  shared  and  eaten 
by  the  friends  of  Tui  Wainunu,  who  ''  spake" 
to  his  ill-fated  guest  "  neither  good  nor 
bad." 

Like  most  savages,  the  Fijians  are  covet- 
ous. To  gratify  this  propensity  they  are 
most  adroit  thieves.  It  is  not  improper  to 
steal  from  a  neighbor,  and  to  steal  from  a 
"papalangi,"  or  foreigner,  is  highly  com- 
mendable. They  consider  themselves  privi- 
leged to  appropriate  any  article  they  wish, 
belonging  to  the  missionaries.  They  visit 
the  mission-house,  and  many  of  them  rarely 
go  away  without  carrying  off  a  memento,  in 
the  shape  of  some  domestic  utensil,  stowed 
snugly  away  under  the  voluminous  folds  of 
their  masi.  Sometimes  the  families  are  left 
without  tea-kettle,  iron  pots,  or  chinaware. 
If  they  find  out  where  the  articles  are,  the 
thief  will  laugh,  and  let  the  owners  take 
them  away. 

Chiefs  employ  men  to  thieve  professionally ; 
but  this  is  kept  secret,  for,  if  the  theft  be 


FIJIAN   CHARACTER.  45 

discovered,  no  one  is  more  ready  to  punish 
the  culprit  than  his  employer,  as  by  so 
doing  he  effects  a  threefold  object, — he  ap- 
pears to  discountenance  the  practice,  satisfies 
the  injured  party,  and  chastises  the  thief  for 
his  unskilful ness. 

Captain  Wilkes  speaks  of  a  Eewa  chief 
who  told  Captain  Hudson  that  he  wished 
very  much  to  send  his  daughters  to  the 
mission-school,  but  could  not,  because  the 
servants  there  were  such  outrageous  thieves. 
The  fact  was  that  the  servants  were  supplied 
by  this  same  chief  with  special  instructions 
to  steal  whatever  they  could  for  him  ! 

,It  makes  no  difference  to  them  whether 
they  know  the  use  of  the  articles :  if  they 
have  them,  that  is  sufficient.  If  they  want 
to  steal  any  thing  from  aboard  ship,  and  it  is 
too  large  to  conceal,  they  slily  drop  it  over- 
board, and  when  the  ship  has  gone  a  diver 
will  bring  the  article  up  for  the  thief. 

"A  brave  man  when  not  surrounded  by 
enemies,"  is  a  native  proverb  which,  unhap- 
pily, describes  their  bravery  too  well.     But 


46  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  nation  so  com- 
pletely under  the  power  of  a  chief's  whims, 
and  holding  that  treachery  is  preferable  to 
open  warfare,  to  be  susceptible  of  any  real 
courasre. 

One  of  their  most  striking  traits  is  their 
never-sleeping  vengeance  for  real  or  fancied 
insults.  Not  only  their  personal  injuries, 
but  an  insult  to  their  family,  friends,  or  their 
tribe,  calls  forth  the  same  untiring  endur- 
ance of  difficulties,  dangers,  and  privations 
for  the  sake  of  revenge.  Sometimes  a  row 
of  sticks  or  stones  is  placed  in  the  ground 
to  remind  the  owner  of  his  injuries,  and  they 
are  carefully  preserved  till  he  has  obtained 
complete  satisfaction. 

Sometimes  a  man  is  seen  with  the  exact 
half  of  his  head  closely  cropped,  to  which 
disfigurement  another  will  add  a  long  twist 
of  hair  hanging  down  the  back;  and  thus 
they  will  appear  until  they  have  wreaked 
vengeance  on  those  who  slew  their  wives 
while  fishing  on  the  reef.  From  the  ridge- 
pole of  some  chief's  house,  or  a  temple,  a 


FIJIAN    CHARACTER.  47 

roll  of  tobacco  is  suspended ;  and  there  it 
must  hang  until  taken  down  to  be  smoked 
over  the  dead  body  of  some  one  of  a  hated 
tribe.  A  powerful  savage,  of  sober  aspect, 
is  seen  keeping  profound  silence  in  the  vil- 
lage council.  To  ordinary  inquiries  he  re- 
plies with  a  whistle.  His  son,  the  hero  of 
the  village,  fell  by  a  treacherous  hand,  and 
the  father  has  vowed  to  abstain  from  the 
pleasures  of  conversation  until  he  opens  his 
lips  to  revile  the  corpse  of  his  son's  mur- 
derer or  to  bless  the  man  who  deprived  it 
of  life.  Irritating  songs  are  employed  to 
excite  the  hatred  of  those  who  are  likely  to 
let  their  vengeance  sleep.  The  youths  of 
the  place  assemble  before  the  house,  and 
leletaka,  or  lament,  that  none  revenge  the 
death  of  their  friend.  The  effect  of  such  a 
song,  framed  so  as  to  appeal  to  the  most 
sensitive  points  of  the  Fijian's  nature,  is  to 
awaken  the  malice  and  fury  of  those  to 
whom  it  is  addressed  with  all  their  original 
force,  and  vows  of  bloody  retribution  are 
made  afresh. 

Fijians   express   their    malice   in    strong 


48  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

terms.  "  My  hatred  of  thee  begins  at  the 
heels  of  ray  feet,  and  extends  to  the  hairs  of 
my  head."  An  angry  chief  sent  the  follow- 
ing message  to  the  object  of  his  displeasure: 
''Let  the  shell  of  the  vasua'  (the  giant 
oyster)  *'  perish  by  reason  of  years,  and  to 
these  add  a  thousand  more ;  still  my  hatred 
of  thee  shall  be  hot!"  This  relentless 
animosity  will  pursue  its  object  to  the 
grave,  and  gratify  itself  by  abusing  a  putrid 
carcass. 

An  illustration  is  given  by  Mr.  Williams 
in  the  case  of  Nalila  and  Ngvindi,  the  chief 
whose  ''modest  and  gentle  manners"  were 
accepted  by  Captain  Erskine  as  an  index  to 
his  character.  Nalila  was  condemned  to 
death,  but  for  several  years  escaped  by  living 
in  strict  seclusion  on  an  island  where  he 
was  safe  from  pursuit.  Despairing  at  last 
of  capturing  him,  his  foes  made  overtures  of 
peace,  which  were  accepted,  and  he  returned 
to  Mbau.  On  the  second  day  of  his  return 
he  sat  with  them  and  some  of  his  personal 
friends  around  the  yaqona-bowl,  in  a  gay 
humor,  when  suddenly  a  shot  from  outside 


FIJIAN   CHARACTER.  49 

laid  him  dead.  Ngvindi  sprang  to  his  feet 
with  his  heavy  club  uplifted  to  crush  him  as 
he  had  fallen.  Nalila's  father  interposed 
and  begged  him  to  have  mercy,  but  his  only 
answer  was  a  blow  which  stretched  him  a 
corpse  by  his  son.  The  heart,  liver,  and 
lungs  of  Nalila  were  eaten  by  his  late  com- 
panions; then  they  "gave  up  the  mutilated 
body  to  the  tears  of  his  widow,"  who  no 
doubt  was  strangled  in  accordance  with  their 
usual  customs,  and  the  revenge  of  Ngvindi's 
party  was  satisfied. 

Dark  are  these  pictures  of  savage  cruelty, 
of  brutality  and  cannibalism ;  and  a  volume 
of  such  pictures  can  be  given  by  the  mis- 
sionaries who  have  dwelt  in  Fiji.  How  low 
man  can  sink,  and  how  low  he  will  sink 
without  the  Bible,  we  here  learn.  It  is  this 
one  thing  that  makes  the  Fijian  to  difier 
from  the  Christian  American.  God  has 
given  us  his  word  and  has  brought  to  us  the 
knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ.  By  this  have  we 
risen  from  the  degradation  and  the  idolatry 
of  our  ancestors,  who,  centuries  ago,  were 


50  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

I 

savage  heathen  in  Britain,  Germany,  or 
France.  By  this  same  power  even  Fijians 
have  been  transformed,  and  thousands  of 
these  once  cannibal  savages  are  now  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ. 


GOVERNMENT.  51 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GOVERNMENT. 

In  Fiji  each  island  has  its  own  chief  or 
king.  The  weaker  rulers,  however,  acknow- 
ledge the  supremacy  of  more  powerful  ones. 
Mbau,  Somosomo,  Lakemba,  and  Rewa,  are 
the  four  great  powers  in  Fiji. 

Society  is  divided  into  six  classes,  each  per- 
fectly distinct  from  the  others.     They  are — 

1.  Kings  and  queens. 

2.  Chiefs  of  large  islands  or  districts. 

3.  Chiefs  of  towns,  priests,  and  mata-ni- 
vanuas. 

4.  Distinguished  warriors  of  low  birth, 
chiefs  of  the  carpenters,  and  chiefs  of  the 
fishers  for  turtle. 

5.  Common  people. 

6.  Slaves  by  war. 

The  power  of  the  king  is  unlimited,  and 
his   authority  absolute.     The  character  of 


62  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

the  government,  therefore,  varies  with  the 
king's.  When  the  succession  is  regular,  it 
descends  to  the  late  king's  eldest  brother, 
then  to  the  eldest  son  of  the  king,  then  to 
the  son  of  the  eldest  brother.  There  are 
many  circumstances,  however,  that  influence 
the  succession.  The  rank  of  the  mother  is 
one.  If  she  is  not  of  noble  birth,  her  son  is 
deprived  of  all  right.  Then  the  king  often 
exercises  his  prerogative  of  putting  his  heir 
to  death,  or  an  ambitious  subject,  believing 
that  might  is  right,  will  seize  the  crown. 

The  dignity  of  the  office  is  fully  realized, — 
so  much  so  that  republicanism  is  held  in 
contempt  by  the  Fijians,  and  even  the  United 
States  have  a  king  when  American  citizens 
speak  of  their  President  to  a  native  of  the 
islands. 

The  pride  of  the  kings  is  often  amusing. 
They  do  not  scruple  to  call  themselves  gods, 
demanding  and  receiving  reverence  as  such. 
Mr.  Williams,  in  speaking  of  the  sacredness 
of  the  king's  person  and  every  thing  he 
touches,  says, — 

*'  Hence  arise  some  amusing  scenes.     A 


GOVEENMENT.  63 

poor  man  was  ordered  to  carry  a  chair  on 
which  Tuithakau  was  accustomed  to  sit :  he 
first  encased  the  palms  of  his  hands  with 
green  leaves,  then,  taking  the  chair  by  two 
of  its  legs,  lifted  it  above  his  head  to  avoid 
further  contact,  and  ran  off  at  full  speed,  as 
though  in  so  doing  lay  his  only  chance  of 
completing  the  journey  alive.  One  day,  on 
leaving  the  house  of  the  same  chief,  I  held 
in  my  hand  a  ripe  plantain,  which  I  gave  to 
a  child  outside ;  but  an  old  man  snatched  it 
away  with  a  countenance  expressive  of  as 
much  anxiety  as  if  I  had  given  the  child  a 
viper.  His  fear  was  that  the  fruit  had  been 
touched  by  the  king,  and  would  therefore 
cause  the  child's  death.  This  king  took  ad- 
vantage of  his  hallowing  prerogative  in  an 
odd  way.  He  used  to  dress  an  English  sea- 
man in  his  masi  (dress),  and  send  the  man 
to  throw  the  train  over  any  article  of  food, 
whether  dead  or  alive,  which  he  might  hap- 
pen to  come  near.  The  result  was  that  such 
things  were  at  once  conveyed  to  the  king 
without  a  word  of  explanation  being  re- 
quired." 

5* 


54  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

The  cares  and  duties  of  a  king  in  Fiji  are 
not  onerous.  His  principal  occupations  are 
feasting  and  fighting.  He  is  one  day  receiv- 
ing the  homage  of  his  subjects  in  royal  state, 
the  next  will  find  him  hard  at  work  in  his 
garden  or  sitting  in  his  house  plaiting  sinnet, 
or,  like  old  Sanoa,  lying  indolently  before  a 
fire,  sleeping  away  half  his  time.  He  has 
several  attendants  always  in  readiness  to 
wait  on  him,  feed  him,  or  perform  the  most 
menial  services.  These,  with  his  priest  and 
wives,  make  up  his  retinue. 

The  chiefs  who  occupy  the  rank  next  below 
the  kings  also  claim  descent  from  the  gods, 
and  the  power  they  exercise  is  arbitrary  and 
despotic.  As  an  instance  of  their  mode  of 
government,  it  is  told  that  a  Bewa  chief 
wished  a  man  to  give  him  a  hoe :  this  he 
was  unwilling  to  do,  so  the  chief  took  his 
wife.  Whether  the  man  felt  that  he  was 
punished  is  doubtful,  for  wives  are  more 
easily  obtained  than  hoes  among  them.  At 
another  time,  a  chief  wishing  to  collect  his 
people  together  ordered  that  all  who  refused 
to  come  should  be  baked ! 


GOVERNMENT.  55 

The  third  class  includes  "  chiefs  of  towns, 
priests,  and  mata-ni-vanuas,"  These  petty- 
chiefs  are  only  distinguished  from  those 
already  described  by  the  possession  of  less 
power.  The  priests  will  be  described  here- 
after. We  therefore  pass  immediately  to 
the  matas,  or  courtiers.  The  title  signifies 
*'  the  eyes  (or  "  the  face")  of  the  land,"  and 
their  office  is  to  communicate  between  the 
chiefs  and  their  people.  They  are  stationed 
at  the  several  towns  under  their  chief's  con- 
trol, where  they  act  as  messengers,  each 
bearing  in  his  title  the  name  of  the  place  to 
which  he  is  ambassador,  as  "  Mata  ki  La- 
kemba,"  *'  Mata  ki  Vatoa."  They  are  treated 
with  the  greatest  respect  by  the  people,  who 
are  well  aware  of  the  influence  of  their  re- 
presentations. 

The  matas  frequently  have  a  number  of 
messages  to  carry  back  and  forth,  and  to 
assist  their  memory  they  use  mnemonic 
sticks,  corresponding  in  number  to  their 
messages,  and  of  lengths  varied  according 
to  the  subject  the  message  contains.  When 
the  mata  delivers  his  message  he  l?ys  down 


56  THE  CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

the  appropriate  stick,  and  so  continues  till 
messages  and  sticks  are  alike  exhausted. 
"  In  some  parts  of  Fiji  the  mata  holds  his 
post  for  life,  in  others  for  only  a  few  years. 
In  the  latter  case,  when  tired  of  public  life, 
he  presents  a  large  quantity  of  provisions  to 
his  chief,  asking  for  permission  to  retire." 

On  many  of  the  islands  the  king  has  a 
mata  attached  to  his  person,  called  ''  0  na 
Mata,"  whose  duties  are  to  address  the  peo- 
ple in  his  master's  stead  when  they  bring 
tribute  or  food. 

Among  the  most  curious  of  the  Fijian 
customs  is  the  institution  of  the  *'  Vasu,"  a 
word  properly  meaning  a  nephew  or  niece, 
but  which  denotes  an  office  having  extra- 
ordinary privileges.  A  Vasu  tankei  is  a  title 
given  to  a  nephew  of  the  king,  whose  mother 
was  a  lady  of  rank  in  her  home.  He  has 
the  right  of  claiming  any  thing  belonging  to 
a  native  of  his  mother's  land,  whether  king 
or  commoner,  excepting  the  wives,  houses, 
and  lands  of  the  chiefs.  No  matter  what 
the  rank  of  the  victim  may  be,  he  rarely 
resists  the  claim. 


GOVERNMENT.  57 

Captain  Wilkes  gave  Tanoa,  the  father  of 
Thakombau,  and  the  most  powerful  king  in 
the  islands,  a  handsome  rifle.  As  soon  as 
his  vasu  heard  of  it,  he  resolved  to  have  it, 
together  with  some  watches  which  had  been 
presented  to  the  royal  family.  Some  of  the 
watches  he  obtained;  but  Tanoa,  unwilling 
to  part  with  his  new  patent  rifle,  sent  it 
away  for  safety,  although  the  vasu  declared 
he  would  yet  have  it.  This  same  man  was 
at  war  with  his  uncle,  and  actually  made 
this  extraordinary  attempt  to  supply  himself 
with  ammunition  from  his  enemy's  stores. 

The  vasu  does  not  often  appropriate  the 
property  of  the  chiefs,  but  contents  himself 
with  that  of  the  people.  He  is  of  great  ser- 
vice to  the  king,  who  sends  him  occasionally 
with  a  large  fleet  to  difi'erent  parts  of  his 
dominion  to  seize  on  a  large  amount  of  pro- 
perty and  divide  it  with  the  king. 

Public  afi"airs  are  generally  managed  by 
the  chiefs ;  but  councils  are  often  held.  At 
these  meetings  much  discretion  and  intelli- 
gence are  exhibited.  Only  chiefs  of  age  or 
wisdom  speak;  and  the  one  who  would  ven- 


58  THE   CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

ture  to  make  a  foolish  or  ill-digested  speech, 
or  propose  some  impracticable  or  ridiculous 
measure,  would  be  disgraced. 

Crime  with  the  Fijians  usually  means  an 
offence  committed  by  the  weaker  against  the 
stronger,  who  in  his  own  way  punishes  the 
oflPender.  Theft  is  punished  by  a  "  fine,  re- 
payment in  kind,  loss  of  finger,  or  clubbing." 

At  Lakemba  the  missionaries  were  robbed. 
Having  complained  formally  to  the  king, 
in  a  few  days  they  were  waited  on  by  a 
messenger  from  him.  He  brought  many 
apologies  for  the  offence,  and  five  sticks,  on 
each  of  which  was  a  little  finger  that  had 
been  cut  from  one  of  the  five  culprits. 

A  severer  punishment  was  inflicted  on  a 
native  who  stole  a  comb  from  one  of  the 
chiefs.  He  was  placed  on  a  canoe-mast,  one 
end  being  elevated  a  few  inches  above  the 
ground ;  his  hands  were  tied  above  his  head, 
and  a  rope  was  lashed  around  him,  fastening 
him  securely  to  the  mast.  In  this  condition 
he  was  left  all  day,  exposed  to  the  burning 
sun.  At  evening  he  was  loosened,  but  he 
could  not  walk ;  and  this  most  brutal  punish- 


GOVERNMENT.  59 

ment  was  said  to  have  been  slight^  because 
the  American  ships  were  there. 

The  despotism  exhibited  in  punishment  is 
as  astonishing  as  the  resignation  of  the  vic- 
tim. A  man  is  often  judged  in  his  absence, 
and  executed  before  he  is  aware  that  sen- 
tence has  been  passed  on  him.  If  condemned 
to  death,  when  the  executioner  comes  the 
victim  rarely  questions  the  justice  of  the 
sentence,  saying,  ''  Whatever  the  king  wills 
must  be  done." 

Justice  is  known  by  name  to  the  Fijian 
powers,  and  its  form  sometimes  adopted ;  yet 
in  very  many  criminal  cases  the  evidence  is 
partial  and  imperfect,  the  sentence  precipi- 
tate and  regardless  of  proportion,  and  its 
execution  sudden  and  brutal.  The  injured 
parties,  headed  by  the  nearest  chief,  form 
the  "  bench"  to  decide  the  case.  If  the  de- 
fendant's rank  is  higher  than  their  own,  an 
appeal  is  made  to  the  king  as  chief  magis- 
trate, and  this  is  final. 

Since  the  establishment  of  Christianity  in 
the  islands,  however,  justice  has  become 
more  than  a  name,  and  crime  has  begun  to 


60  THE   CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

be  properly  recognized  and  proportionately 
punished.  The  word  of  God  has  thrown 
light,  moral  light,  upon  these  dark  places  of 
the  earth ;  wrong-doing  is  seen  to  be  crime, 
and  the  punishment  of  the  wrong-doer  and 
the  protection  of  the  innocent  is  recognized 
as  right.  Plain  as  this  seems  to  us  in  hap- 
pier lands,  it  is  new  to  Fiji. 


LANGUAGE   AND   LITERATURE.  61 


CHAPTER  V. 

LANGUAGE   AND    LITERATURE. 

In  the  languages  of  all  the  Oceanic  islands 
there  is  a  marked  resemblance,  but  not 
enough  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  making 
each  a  separate  study.  The  Fijian  is  divided 
into  about  fifteen  dialects.  That  of  Mbau 
may  be  styled  the  court  language,  and  the 
missionaries  wisely  used  it  for  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible. 

Among  the  most  striking  features  of  the 
Fijian  language  are  its  copiousness  and  its 
precision.  A  native  is  exceedingly  particu- 
lar to  express  himself  correctly,  using  terms 
remarkable  for  their  accuracy  and  propriety. 

There  is  a  separate  Fijian  word  for  the 
cocoa-nut  in  every  stage  of  its  growth,  as 
well  as  in  every  variety;  and  every  shrub, 
flower,  and  tree  on  the  islands  has  its  own 
appropriate  name. 


62  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

According  to  testimony  founded  on  a  long 
acquaintance  with  the  language,  the  Fijian 
can  express  by  different  words  the  motion 
of  a  snake  and  that  of  a  caterpillar,  with  the 
clapping  of  the  hands  lengthwise,  crosswise, 
or  in  almost  any  other  way;  it  has  three 
words  for  "  a  bunch,"  five  for  ^'  a  pair,"  six 
for  ''cocoa-nut  oil,"  and  seven  for  ''a  han- 
dle ;"  for  "  the  being  close  together"  and  for 
"  the  end"  it  has  five  terms  each,  for  "  fa- 
tigue" and  "  thin"  seven  each,  with  no  fewer 
than  eleven  for  "dirty;"  for  the  verb  ''to 
thank"  it  has  two  words,  for  "  to  pluck," 
four;  for  "to  carry,  command,  entice,  lie, 
raise,"  it  has  five  each ;  for  "  to  creep,  re- 
turn, pierce,  see,  squeeze,"  six  each;  for  "to 
care,  draw,  roll,"  seven  each ;  for  "  to  make, 
place,  push,  turn,"  eight  each ;  for  "  to  seize 
and  split,"  nine  each;  with  fourteen  for  "to 
cut,"  and  sixteen  for  "  to  strike." 

One  other  illustration  of  the  copiousness 
of  the  language  is  worth  mention.  The 
Greek  and  other  cultivated  tongues  have 
different  words  for  "  to  wash,"  according  as 
the  operation  has  reference  to  the  body,  or 


LANGUAGE   AND    LITERATURE.  63 

to  clotlies  and  the  like ;  and,  where  the  body 
is  spoken  of,  their  synonyms  will  sometimes 
define  the  limb  or  part  which  is  the  subject 
of  the  action.  The  Fijian  leaves  these  lan- 
guages far  behind,  for  it  can  avail  itself  of 
separate  terms  to  express  the  washing  pro- 
cess, according  as  it  may  happen  to  affect 
the  head,  face,  hands,  feet,  and  body  of  an 
individual,  or  his  apparel,  his  dishes,  or  his 
floor. 

In  1840  the  Fijian  dictionary  contained 
about  five  thousand  eight  hundred  words; 
and  many  have  since  been  added. 

The  missionaries  are  generally  acquainted 
with  seven  of  the  dialects,  and  have  trans- 
lated books  into  four, — those  of  Mbau,  Rewa, 
Lakemba,  and  Somosomo. 

Eev.  David  Hazlewood,  in  1850,  com- 
pleted a  grammar  and  dictionary,  which 
have  proved  of  great  service.  A  few  useful 
books  have  since  been  added  to  the  list;  and 
they  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  issue  some 
school-books  for  the  use  of  the  children. 

The  translation  of  the  Bible  was  com- 
menced by  Rev.  John  Hunt,  but  was  left  un- 


64  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

finished  by  him  at  his  death.  It  was  re- 
sumed by  Mr.  Hazlewood,  who  was  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  difl5cult  work.  He  prepared 
an  excellent  manuscript,  which  was  carried 
by  Mr.  Calvert  to  England  and  printed  by 
the  Bible  Society. 

Eude  and  inharmonious  as  the  poetry  and 
songs  of  the  Fijian  seem  to  us,  to  him  they 
are  the  perfection  of  melody.  The  love  of 
the  natives  for  their  poetry  amounts  to  a 
passion.  Through  the  day  all  classes  enliven 
their  tasks  with  their  peculiar  chant,  and  at 
night  the  air  resounds  with  the  voices  of 
numbers  who  have  met  for  recitation.  The 
glory  of  Fijian  poetry,  however,  is  heard  in 
the  TTieke,  a  term  which  applies  to  both  song 
and  dance.  As  the  performer  moves  in  the 
dance,  he  accompanies  himself  in  songs,  the 
movement  of  which  is  slow  and  monotonous, 
varied  principally  by  alternations  of  the 
time.  Beginning  as  slowly  as  a  dirge,  he 
suddenly  rattles  off  a  few  notes  rapidly,  then 
relapses  into  his  slow  movement,  and,  after 
shrieking  in  a  high  tone,  he  stops,  and  the 
bass  comes  in,  chanting  his  part  on  one  note. 


LANGUAGE   AND    LITERATURE.  65 

Thus  alternating,  they  weary  the  ear  with 
their  dreary  song. 

A  finished  poem  is  unknown  among  them, 
although  poetic  expressions  are  common. 
Can  any  phrase  be  prettier  than  '^  lumalu- 
ma,"  which  expresses  both  modesty  and  the 
softened  retiring  light  of  evening?  Igno- 
rance is  appropriately  called  "  the  night  of 
the  mind." 

The  two  favorite  muses  reside  on  the 
islands  Nairai  and  Thekombia-i-ra.  The 
first  is  a  man,  the  other  a  woman ;  and  to 
them  the  poets  ascribe  the  influence  that 
causes  them  to  compose  the  meke. 

They  say  that,  while  asleep,  they  visit  the 
world  of  spirits,  where  a  poetic  divinity 
teaches  them  a  poem,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  they  learn  a  dance  corresponding  to 
the  song.  The  heaven-taught  minstrels 
then  return  to  their  mundane  home,  and 
communicate  the  new  acquisition  to  their 
friends,  by  whom,  on  their  trading  or  festive 
visits,  it  is  spread  far  and  wide  through 
every  town  and  island.  No  alteration  is 
ever  made  in   the  meke,  however  the  lan- 

6* 


66  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

guage  may  diifer  from  the  dialect  of  the 
people  among  whom  it  is  introdiaced  :  hence 
the  natives  are  often  ignorant  of  the  mean- 
ing of  many  of  their  most  popular  songs, 
and  express  surprise  if  any  one  should  ex- 
pect them  to  understand  them. 

Some  of  the  native  Christians  have  com- 
posed hymns  that  are  quite  creditable.  The 
following  song  is  a  fair  specimen  of  ordi- 
nary Fijian  poetry : — 

"  In  Rewa  a  fine  southerly  wind  was  blowing, 
The  wind  was  blowing  from  the  point  of  Rewa, 
And  it  shakes  down  the  garlands  of  the  sinu-tree, 
So  that  the  women  may  make  garlands. 
String  the  sinu,  and  cover  it  with  the  lemba  flowers; 
When  put  together,  I  will  hang  it  on  my  neck. 
But  the  Queen  begs  it,  and  I  will  take  it  off; 
Queen!  take  our  garland  of  lemba. 
I  throw  it  on  the  little  couch. 
Take  ye  the  garland  that  I  have  been  making. 
That  the  ladies  may  make  a  great  noise  in  coming. 
Let  us  go  to  the  Thungraiva  [a  house]. 
The  mother  of  Thangi-lemba  was  vexed. 
Why  did  you  give  away  our  dance 
The  basket  of  dance-fees  is  empty. 
This  world  is  a  world  of  trouble. 
They  will  not  succeed  in  learning  to  dance. 
The  sun  goes  down  too  soon  in  Muthuata." 


LANGUAGE    AND    LITERATURE.  67 

The  people  now  sing  the  Te  Deum  and 
other  parts  of  public  worship  to  their  native 
chants.  The  music  is  not  unpleasing,  and 
is  said  to  resemble  the  chanting  in  a  Jewish 
synagogue. 


68  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WOMAN  IN   FIJI. 

We  shall  be  sadly  disappointed  if  we  ex- 
pect to  find  among  these  people  the  domestic 
habits  and  the  love  of  home  common  to  more 
civilized  nations.  The  rigid  enforcement  of 
unnatural  customs — as  tabuing  parents  and 
children,  brothers  and  sisters,  from  speaking 
to  each  other,  forbidding  a  father  to  speak 
to  a  son  over  fifteen  years  of  age,  or  a  hus- 
band to  eat  from  the  same  dish  with  his 
wife,  and  many  similar  rules — prevents  this. 
We  could  hardly  expect  a  man  to  find 
his  chief  pleasure  in  one  room  of  a  reed- 
thatched  house  with  a  dozen  or  more  wives 
and  children  chattering  and  quarrelling 
around  him. 

Their  carelessness  of  manner  is  generally 
the  expression  of  real  indifference.  The 
women  are  considered   as  a   kind  of  pro- 


WOMAN    IN    FIJI.  69 

perty,  and  are  of  importance  only  when 
related  to  a  chief.  In  many  of  the  islands 
they  are  beasts  of  burden ;  and  in  all  of  them 
the  whole  sex  is  fearfully  degraded.  They 
are  at  the  mercy  of  their  husbands  and 
friends,  who  can  dispose  of  or  use  them  as 
they  choose ;  but  among  natives  themselves 
women  are  not,  as  has  been  sometimes 
asserted,  an  article  of  trade.  If  they  are 
ever  treated  in  this  way,  it  is  brought  about 
by  white  men.  An  American  captain  once 
asked  two  hogs  as  the  price  of  a  musket. 
The  chief,  who  desired  to  purchase  it,  had 
but  one  hog :  so  he  sent  with  it  a  woman, 
hoping  the  papalangi  would  think  her  worth 
as  much  as  the  missing  animal.  She  was 
received  as  an  equivalent ;  and  the  wife  of 
the  captain,  liking  the  woman,  kept  her  for 
a  servant. 

The  system  which  permits  a  plurality  of 
wives  necessarily  produces  the  most  terrible 
results.  Quarrelling  and  jealousy  are  among 
the  lesser  evils. 

Mr.  Williams  thus  represents  the  harem 
of  a  chief: — ''The  testimony  of  a  woman 


70  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

who  lived  two  years  in  my  family,  after 
having  been  one  among  several  of  a  chief's 
wives,  is,  that  they  know  nothing  of  com- 
fort. Contentions  among  them  are  endless, 
the  bitterest  hatred  common,  and  mutual 
cursing  and  recrimination  of  daily  occur- 
rence. When  a  woman  happens  to  be  under 
the  displeasure  of  her  master  as  well  as  that 
of  his  lady  wives,  they  irritate  the  chief  by 
detailing  her  misdemeanors,  until  permission 
is  gained  to  punish  the  delinquent,  when 
the  women  of  the  house — high  and  low — 
fall  upon  her,  cuffing,  kicking,  scratching, 
and  even  trampling  on  the  poor  creature,  so 
unmercifully  as  to  leave  her  half  dead." 
And  the  end  of  this  life  commonly  is  the 
privilege  of  forming  one  of  the  number 
strangled  at  the  chief's  funeral.  Darkness 
and  degradation  are  the  lot  of  woman  where 
God's  precious  gospel  is  unknown.  In  Fiji 
heathenism  casts  its  deepest  gloom  over  the 
lives  and  characters  and  fills  with  wretch- 
edness the  fortunes  of  those  who  in  Chris- 
tian lands  are  examples  of  piety  and  of  all 
that  is  refined  and  amiable. 


WOMAN    IN    FIJI.  71 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  expect  from  a 
mother,  under  these  circumstances,  either 
devoted  or  judicious  affection;  and  yet  a 
good  measure  of  maternal  fondness  is  often 
shown.  Often  the  first  act  of  the  Fijian 
mother  is  to  murder  her  child.  To  such  an 
extent  is  infanticide  carried,  that  murder- 
esses by  profession  are  to  be  found  in  nearly 
every  village.  But  the  mother's  hand  is 
often  the  nearest  and  readiest.  Unlike  the 
infanticide  of  the  Hindus,  that  of  Fiji  is 
done  from  motives  in  which  there  is  no  ad- 
mixture of  any  thing  like  religious  feeling  or 
fear,  but  merely  whim,  expediency,  anger, 
or  indolence.  If  the  babe  is  a  female,  her 
chances  of  life  are  considerably  lessened. 

In  the  exercise  of  his  authority,  the  hus- 
band is  often  cruel.  The  use  of  the  stick 
he  finds  frequently  necessary  to  subdue  an 
unruly  wife.  Mr.  Williams  saw  sticks  the 
size  of  a  broom-handle,  that  the  kings  of 
Lakemba  and  Mbau  kept  by  their  sides  for 
this  purpose, 

''The  aged  king  Tuithakau  II.,"  says 
Mr.  Williams,  "  visited  me  one  day  in  evi- 


72  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

dent  trouble.  After  sitting  silent  a  while, 
he  said,  '  Have  you  a  spy-glass  ?'  Finding 
that  I  had  one,  he  proceeded,  '  Do  look,  and 
see  if  my  woman  has  gone  to  Weilangi  only, 
or  right  away  to  Wainikeli.'  Weilangi  was 
a  village  about  six  miles  off,  and  Wainikeli 
about  six  miles  farther,  with  high  hills  in- 
terposed. It  appeared  that  the  old  gentle- 
man had  found  it  necessary  to  use  severe 
discipline  with  one  of  his  wives,  who,  after 
being  beaten,  ran  away;  and  he  now  felt 
anxious  about  her,  and  came  to  solicit  the 
help  of  my  glass  to  ascertain  her  where- 
abouts. I  assured  him  that  in  this  case 
the  spy-glass  was  of  no  use,  as  the  woman 
had  been  gone  several  hours,  and  was  now, 
no  doubt,  in  some  house  with  her  friends. 
'  Look,'  he  rejoined,  '  if  you  can  see  her 
footsteps  on  the  road  from  Weilangi  to 
Wainikeli.'  It  was  with  difficulty  that  I 
persuaded  him  that  it  was  impossible  to  see, 
at  such  a  distance,  a  path  which  was  nar- 
row and  irregular,  and,  moreover,  hidden 
with  forest  and  brushwood." 

The  girls  are  generally  betrothed  in  in- 


WOMAN    IN    FIJI.  73 

fancy,  and  if  they  are  of  high  rank  the  en- 
gagement is  considered  inviolable,  as  poli- 
tical considerations  are  involved.  In  the 
lower  classes,  however,  if  the  man  dislikes 
the  bargain,  he  may  neglect  to  make  the 
customary  advances ;  if  the  reluctance  is  on 
the  woman's  side,  she  may  be  released  by 
the  giving  of  property  in  her  stead.  It  is 
rare  to  find  a  marriage  founded  on  mutual 
esteem :  yet  such  a  one  is  sometimes  made. 
The  wives  envy  the  English  woman,  who 
can  wed  "  the  man  to  whom  her  spirit  flies." 
Yet  some  more  ignorant  natives,  supposing 
the  missionaries  had  bought  their  wives, 
asked  them  how  much  they  gave  for  them. 

The  ceremonies  connected  with  betroth- 
ment  and  marriage  are  numerous,  and  care- 
fully observed  among  the  higher  classes. 
Priests  are  not  in  requisition  for  a  mar- 
riage, as  it  is  a  civil  and  not  a  religious 
contract. 

The  girl's  friends  take  her  to  the  house 
of  her  intended  husband's  parents,  present- 
ing,   at   the   same   time,   property, — teetk, 
cloth,  or  mats.      A  custom  which  is  cer- 
7 


74  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

tainly  pretty  is  then  observed.  Not  even 
a  heathen  can  leave  the  scenes  of  childhood 
and  careless  joy  without  tears ;  and  the  girl 
often  weeps  freely.  The  friends  of  the 
bridegroom  endeavor  to  solace  her  by  pre- 
senting trinkets  as  expressions  of  their  re- 
gard. This  is  called  the  vakamamaca,  or 
"drying-up-of- the- tears."  This,  however, 
is  not  the  end  of  the  ceremony.  The  bride 
returns  to  her  home  after  the  observance  of 
certain  forms. 

The  young  man  is  expected  to  build  a 
house  to  which  to  take  his  wife,  who  under- 
goes now  the  painful  process  of  tattooing, 
if  it  has  not  already  been  done.  During 
this  period  the  bride  is  tahu  siga,  kept  from 
the  sun,  to  improve  her  complexion.  These 
preliminaries  over,  the  grand  feast  takes 
place,  when  the  friends  of  each  party  try  to 
outdo  the  others  in  the  food  and  property 
presented.  As  in  other  native  feasts,  so 
here  it  is  easier  to  specify  the  good  cheer 
by  yards  and  hundred-weights  than  by 
dishes.  When  the  chief  Tanoa  gave  his 
daughter  to  the  Lasakau  chief,  there  was 


WOMAN    IN   FIJI.  75 

provided  for  the  entertainment  of  the  friends 
assembled  a  wall  of  fish  five  feet  high  and 
twenty  yards  in  length,  besides  turtles  and 
pigs,  and  vegetables  in  proportion.  One 
dish  at  the  same  feast  was  ten  feet  long,  four 
feet  wide,  and  three  deep,  spread  over  with 
green  leaves,  on  which  were  placed  roast 
pigs  and  turtles.  Whatever  is  prepared  by 
the  friends  of  the  woman  is  given  to  those 
of  the  man,  and  vice  versa.  The  conclusion 
of  this  day  is  the  vaqasea,  when  the  mar- 
riage is  complete,  the  announcement  of 
which,  in  some  tribes,  is  by  tremendous 
shoutings ;  and  arrangements  are  made  for 
the  veitasi,  or  ''  clipping,"  which,  to  wind- 
ward, consists  in  cutting  off  a  bunch  of  long 
hair  worn  over  the  temples  by  the  woman 
while  a  spinster.  To  leeward,  however,  the 
woman  is  deprived  of  all  her  hair,  and  thus 
made  sufficiently  ugly  to  startle  the  most 
ardent  admirer. 

The  bride,  among  the  higher  classes,  has 
nothing  to  say  on  the  subject,  her  will  being 
too  unimportant  to  be  consulted.  Suit- 
ability in  age  is  of  no  consequence,  as  young 


76  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

girls  of  sixteen  are  often  married  to  men  of 
sixty. 

Says  Mr. Williams,  "I  saw  a  young  girl 
of  good  family,  who  was  given  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  Tuikilakila,  brought  in  form  to  that 
chief.  As  she  was  presented  in  the  way 
usually  observed  in  giving  a  bride,  T  will 
describe  the  ceremony.  She  was  brought 
in  at  the  principal  entrance  by  the  king's 
aunt  and  a  few  matrons,  and  then,  led  only 
by  the  old  lady,  approached  the  king.  She 
was  an  interesting  girl  of  fifteen,  glistening 
with  oil,  wearing  a  new  liku,  and  a  neck- 
lace of  carved  ivory  points,  radiating  from 
her  neck,  and  turning  upwards.  The  king 
then  received  from  his  aunt  the  girl,  with 
two  whales'  teeth,  which  she  carried  in  her 
hand.  When  she  was  seated  at  his  feet,  his 
majesty  repeated  a  list  of  their  gods,  and 
finished  by  praying  that  '  the  girl  might 
live,  and  bring  forth  male  children.'  To 
her  friends — two  men  who  had  come  in  at 
the  back  door — he  gave  a  musket,  begging 
them  not  to  think  hardly  of  his  having  taken 
their  child,  as  the  step  was  connected  with 


WOMAN   IN   FIJI.  77 

the  good  of  the  land,  in  which  their  in- 
terests, as  well  as  his  own,  were  involved. 
The  musket,  which  was  about  equivalent  to 
the  necklace,  the  men  received  with  bent 
heads,  muttering  a  short  prayer,  the  close 
of  which  was  exactly  the  same  as  they  had 
offered  for  years,  'Death  to  Natawa!' 
Tuikilakila  then  took  off  the  girl's  necklace, 
and  kissed  her.  The  gayest  moment  of  her 
life,  as  far  as  dress  was  concerned,  was  past; 
and  I  felt  that  the  untying  of  that  polished 
ornament  from  her  neck  was  the  first  down- 
ward step  to  a  dreary  future.  Perhaps  her 
forebodings  were  like  mine,  for  she  wept ; 
and  the  tears  were  seen  by  the  king,  who 
said,  '  Do  not  weep.  Are  you  going  to  leave 
your  own  land  ?  You  are  but  going  a  voy- 
age, soon  to  return.  Do  not  think  it  is  a 
hardship  to  go  to  Mbau.  Here  you  have  to 
work  hard ;  there  you  will  rest.  Here  you 
fare  indifferently;  there  you  will  eat  the 
best  of  food.  Only  do  not  weep  to  spoil 
yourself.'  As  he  thus  spoke,  he  played  with 
her  curly  locks,  complimenting  her  on  her 
face    and   figure.      Just    then   the    king's 


78  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

women  appeared  with  their  nets,  and  lie 
ordered  the  poor  girl  to  go  and  '  try  her 
hand  at  fishing.'" 

The  birth  of  a  boy  is  hailed  with  feasting 
and  rejoicing.  The  child  is  anointed  with 
oil  and  turmeric,  and  is  named  when  two  or 
three  days  old. 

The  first  lesson  taught  a  child  is  to  strike 
its  mother, — to  make  it  courageous.  For 
the  same  object  mothers  take  their  little  ones 
to  abuse  the  dead  bodies  of  their  fathers' 
enemies.  One  of  the  missionaries,  visiting 
a  family  who  were  mourning  the  recent 
slaughter  of  six  of  their  household,  saw  a 
child  of  about  four  years  of  age  sitting  on 
the  floor,  hacking  a  malo — a  man's  dress — 
with  a  butcher's  knife.  His  little  hand  was 
covered  with  blood,  for  his  little  finger  had 
been  cut  ofi"  as  a  token  of  love  for  his  de- 
ceased father.  This  malo  had  been  stripped 
from  one  of  the  enemies,  and  given  to  him 
to  treat  in  this  way,  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
citing hatred  and  revenge. 

The  principal  education  of  the  children 
consists  in  teaching  them  to  throw  a  spear 


WOMAN   IN   FIJI.  79 

or  club,  and  manage  a  canoe.  They  also 
become  well  versed  in  the  qualities  of  the 
natural  objects  around  them.  Captain  Ers- 
kine  said  he  never  met  a  boy  or  girl  who 
could  not  tell  him  the  native  name  for  any 
leaf  or  grass  shown  them. 

The  Fijian  in  no  way  excites  our  horror 
and  pity  more  than  in  his  treatment  of  the 
sick  and  aged.  Grenerally,  ''  if  sick  persons 
have  no  friends,  they  are  simply  left  to 
perish.  Should  they  be  among  friends,  they 
are  cared  for  until  they  become  trouble- 
some, or,  through  weakness,  offensive; 
whereupon  they  are  generally  put  out  of 
the  way."  If  the  patient  is  of  high  rank, 
on  the  contrary,  great  efforts  are  frequently 
made  to  preserve  his  life. 

The  case  of  Tangithi  is  a  good  illustra- 
tion of  their  habits  in  this  respect.  She 
was  the  favorite  daughter  of  the  king  of 
Lakemba,  and  was  very  ill.  She  wished  to 
be  visited  by  the  missionary,  who  found  her 
speechless  and  apparently  insensible.  The 
medicine  he  gave  soon  produced  a  favorable 
change;  but  next  day  she  refused  to  con- 


80  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

tinue  under  Mr.  Calvert's  treatment,  as  a 
priest  had  arrived  during  the  night  from  a 
distance,  and,  through  him,  the  god  had 
declared  that  the  illness  of  the  princess  was 
in  consequence  of  the  ruinous  state  of  the 
temples.  The  king,  being  very  fond  of  his 
daughter,  was  anxious  to  appease  the  anger 
of  the  gods,  and  ordered  large  offerings  of 
food  to  be  prepared  by  all  the  towns  on  the 
island.  Toki,  and  the  other  enemies  of  the 
lotu,  tried  very  hard  to  get  this  order  im- 
posed on  the  Christians  as  well  as  the  rest; 
but  the  king  refused,  saying  that  what  the 
Christians  did  in  the  matter  would  be  use- 
less, as  they  worshipped  another  Grod.  On 
being  pressed,  he  added,  '^  They  shall  not 
be  asked  to  help.  And  if  they  were,  do 
you  think  they  would  do  any  thing  in  this 
matter,  seeing  that  such  work  is  unlawful 
to  them?"  On  this  occasion,  as  on  all 
others,  care  was  taken  by  the  missionaries 
that,  while  the  Christians  stood  firmly  to 
their  principles,  it  should  be  done  with  as 
little  ofi'ence  as  possible;  so  that  they 
brought   unbidden   a   supply    of    uncooked 


WOMAN    IN    FIJI.  81 

food,  as  a  present  to  the  king,  who  seemed 
pleased  and  satisfied.  All  the  heathens  on 
the  island  joined  in  preparing  the  offering 
for  Tangithi's  recovery. 

All  these  preparations  occupied  much 
time,  and  before  every  thing  was  ready 
Tangithi  grew  worse,  and  again  Mr.  Calvert 
was  sent  for.  He  found  her  removed  to 
the  house  of  a  late  brother  of  the  king,  who 
was  now  deified,  and  said  to  be  speciall} 
present  in  his  old  house.  The  missionary, 
knowing  that  the  priest  was  there  about 
his  incantations,  and  that  large  offerings 
had  been  prepared,  deemed  this  a  good  op- 
portunity for  teaching.  The  king  was  much 
excited,  and  said,  "  The  illness  of  my  daugh- 
ter is  very  great!"  ''Yes,"  said  Mr.  Cal- 
vert, "I  know  it;  and  you  are  to  be  blamed 
for  following  useless  heathen  worship,  in- 
stead of  continuing  the  use  of  medicine 
which  proved  beneficial."  He  further  added 
that  he  was  unwilling  to  treat  the  patient 
while  the  heathen  observances  were  going 
on,  and  the  priest  was  rubbing  her  body, 
lest,  on  his  treatment  succeeding,  it  should 


82  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

be  said  that  the  recovery  was  the  result  of 
the  incantations  and  offerings,  and  thus  the 
people  should  become  confirmed  in  their 
errors.  After  a  long  talk,  and  a  lecture  to 
the  priest  on  his  absurd  deceptions,  Mr. 
Calvert  at  last  consented  to  undertake  the 
case.  He  administered  a  stimulant,  which 
revived  the  girl  from  her  stupor,  making 
her  throw  about  her  arms  restlessly.  This 
frightened  the  king,  who  thought  she  was 
dying,  and  cried  out,  angrily,  '^  You  have 
killed  my  daughter  !"  The  missionary  was 
in  no  enviable  position.  The  attendants 
and  people  all  round  were  very  savage  at 
his  interference  with  the  priest,  and  only 
wanted  a  word  to  lead  them  to  revenge. 
It  was  late  at  night,  and  the  mission-house 
was  far  off.  The  place  was  full  of  enraged 
heathens,  in  the  midst  of  whom  stood  the 
stranger  accused  by  the  king  of  murdering 
his  favorite  child.  Nothing,  however,  was 
to  be  gained  by  showing  fear :  so  Mr.  Cal- 
vert snatched  up  his  bottles,  and  showed 
great  indignation  at  such  a  charge  after  he 
had  come  at  their  earnest  request, — though 


WOMAN   IN   FIJI.  83 

served  so  badly  by  them  before, — and  had 
given  S3me  of  the  medicine  that  had  been  sent 
all  the  way  from  England  for  his  own  family. 
Then,  assuming  a  look  of  being  greatly 
affronted,  he  hurried  away,  glad  enough  to 
get  safe  home,  where  he  bolted  all  the  doors, 
and  kept  an  anxious  look-out  next  morning, 
until  the  news  came  that  Tangithi  was  alive 
and  somewhat  better.  During  the  morning 
a  message  came  from  the  king,  begging  for 
medicine  for  another  of  his  children,  who 
was  ill  with  dysentery.  Mr.  Calvert  sent 
word,  ^'  Give  my  respects  to  the  king,  and 
tell  him  that  I  do  not  wish  to  send  any  more 
medicine  for  his  children,  having  killed  his 
daughter  last  night ;  and  it  is  not  lawful  for 
a  missionary  to  kill  two  children  of  a  king 
in  so  short  a  time."  An  apology  soon  came, 
and  an  entreaty  for  forgiveness  for  words 
hastily  spoken;  but  the  medicine  was  not 
sent  until  another  urgent  request  was 
brought. 

For  four  weeks  the  priests  tried  all  the 
effects  of  their  incantations  and  sacrifices, 
but  the  sick  girl  got  no  better :  so  that  at 


84:  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

last  tne  father's  "heart  relented,  and  he  gave 
his  consent  that  she  should  renounce  hea- 
thenism, and  be  removed,  with  her  attendants, 
to  the  mission-house.  This  was  accordingly- 
done;  and  the  missionary's  wife  will  not  soon 
forget  the  toil  and  inconvenience  and  annoy- 
ance of  having  so  many  Fijian  women  in  her 
house.  The  care,  however,  was  cheerfully 
borne,  and  in  a  short  time  the  patient  im- 
proved. Now  that  she  had  lost  all  trust  in 
the  heathen  remedies,  she  was  perfectly  sub- 
missive to  the  directions  of  the  missionary, 
and  soon  recovered.  And  God  greatly 
blessed  her  soul  as  well  as  her  body ;  so 
that  she  became  an  enlightened  and  earnest 
worshipper  of  him,  much  to  the  dismay  of 
the  priests  and  the  rousing  of  the  whole 
island.  Several  became  Christians  in  the 
king's  town,  and  all  the  people,  from  the 
king  downwards,  knew  that  Tangithi's  re- 
covery was  of  God,  after  their  own  priests 
had  failed. 

This  young  girl's  high  position  alone 
saved  her  from  the  horrible  fate  that  befalls 
those  of  a  lower  class.     Elijah  Verani,  after 


WOMAN   IN   FIJI.  85 

becoming  a  Christian,  one  day  told  Mr. 
Williams  of  a  young  girl,  who  had  been 
sick,  and  remained  in  a  delicate  state  of 
health  for  so  long  a  time  that  he  feared  she 
would  be  troublesome,  and  had  her  grave 
dug.  She  was  in  the  house,  but  the  noise 
and  loud  exclamations  attracted  her  atten- 
tion, and  she  went  to  the  door  to  see  what 
could  be  the  reason  of  it.  As  soon  as  she 
appeared,  she  was  suddenly  seized,  carried 
to  her  grave,  and  thrown  in.  In  vain  she 
shrieked  and  pleaded  for  mercy  :  two  pair 
of  strong  arms  held  her  down,  resisting  her 
frantic  struggles  and  her  agonizing  cry, 
''  Do  not  bury  me  !  I  am  quite  well  now  !" 
The  soil  was  hastily  thrown  in  on  her,  till 
every  sound  was  stifled,  and  they  left  her. 
Oh,  the  horrors  of  heathenism  !  Well  may 
we  thank  God  for  the  Bible ! 

One  reason,  probably,  why  the  sick  and 
aged  desire  to  die  before  they  become  de- 
crepit, is  the  belief  that  they  will  eternally 
be  of  the  same  age  that  they  are  at  the  time 
of  death.  The  treatment  they  receive  also 
often  reconciles  them  to  death ;  but,  if  they 


86  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

do  not  themselves  make  the  proposal,  their 
children  are  very  apt  to  remind  them  of 
their  duty  to  die.  To  honor  and  cherish 
the  aged  is  no  part  of  Fijian  morality. 

Mr.  Hunt,  who  was  an  eye-witness  of 
several  of  these  acts,  gives  the  following 
account.  On  one  occasion  he  was  called 
upon  by  a  young  man,  who  desired  he 
would  pray  to  his  Spirit  for  his  mother, 
who  was  dead.  On  inquiry,  the  young  man 
told  him  that  his  brothers  and  himself  were 
just  going  to  bury  her.  Mr.  Hunt  accom- 
panied the  young  man,  telling  him  he  would 
follow  in  the  procession  and  do  as  he  desired 
him,  supposii.g,  of  course,  the  corpse  would 
be  brought  along.  Soon  they  met  the  pro- 
cession :  the  young  man  said  this  was  the 
funeral,  and  pointed  out  his  mother,  who 
was  walking  along  with  them,  as  gay  and 
lively  as  any  present,  and  apparently  as  much 
pleased.  Mr.  Hunt  expressed  his  surprise 
to  the  young  man,  and  asked  him  how  he 
could  deceive  him  by  saying  his  mother 
was  dead,  when  she  was  alive  and  well. 
He  said,  in  reply,  that  they  had  made  her 


WOMAN    IN    FIJI.  87 

deatn-feast ;  that  she  was  old ;  that  his 
brother  and  himself  had  thought  she  had 
lived  long  enough,  and  it  was  time  to  oury 
her,  to  which  she  had  willingly  assented, 
and  they  were  about  it  now.  He  had  come 
to  Mr.  Hunt  to  ask  his  prayers,  as  they  did 
those  of  the  priest.  He  added  that  it  was 
from  love  to  his  mother  that  they  were  now 
going  to  bury  her,  and  that  none  but  them- 
selves could  or  ought  to  perform  so  sacred 
an  office.  Mr.  Hunt  did  all  in  his  power  to 
prevent  the  act ;  but  the  only  reply  he  re- 
ceived was  that  she  was  their  mother,  and 
they  were  her  children,  and  they  ought  to 
put  her  to  death.  On  reaching  the  grave, 
the  mother  sat  down, — when  children,  grand- 
children, relations,  and  friends  took  an 
affectionate  leave  of  her.  A  rope  was  then 
passed  twice  around  her  neck  by  her  sons, 
who  took  hold  of  it  and  strangled  her; 
after  which  she  was  put  into  her  grave 
with  the  usual  ceremonies.  They  returned 
to  feast  and  mourn,  after  which  she  was  as 
entirely  forgotten  as  though  she  had  not 
existed. 


THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

FUNEEAL   CEEEMONIES. 

Deeply  painful  is  it  to  the  Christian 
heart  to  describe  or  to  read  of  the  horrors 
of  heathenism  in  these  beautiful  islands. 
Yet  it  is  well  to  know  what  man  is  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  God,  and  what  was 
the  state  of  many  who  now  obey  the  gospel. 
In  the  funeral  ceremonies  of  Fiji  we  see 
new  evidences  of  the  cruelty  and  woes  of 
pagan  blindness.  The  story  of  the  death 
and  funeral  of  an  eminent  chief,  Tuithakau, 
of  Somo-somo,  is  thus  described  by  Mr. 
Williams : — 

''  The  venerable  chieftain  grew  feeble  to- 
wards the  middle  of  1845,  but  not  so  as  to 
prevent  his  taking  an  occasional  walk. 
About  August,  however,  he  was  obliged  to 
keep  his  mat,  and  I  often  called,  and  en- 


FUNEBAL    CEREMONIES.  89 

deavored  to  instruct  without  irritating  liim. 
I  visited  him  on  the  21st,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  him  much  better  than  he  had  been 
two  days  before.  We  talked  a  little,  and 
he  was  perfectly  collected.  On  being  told, 
therefore,  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  that 
the  king  was  dead,  and  that  preparations 
were  being  made  for  his  interment,  I  could 
scarcely  credit  the  report.  The  ominous 
word  preparing  urged  me  to  hasten  without 
delay  to  the  scene  of  action ;  but  my  utmost 
speed  failed  to  bring  me  to  Nasima — the 
king's  house^in  time. 

*'The  moment  I  entered  it,  it  was  evident 
that,  as  far  as  concerned  two  of  the  women, 
I  was  too  late  to  save  their  lives.  Scores 
of  deliberate  murderers,  in  the  very  act, 
surrounded  me  :  yet  there  was  no  confusion, 
and,  except  a  word  from  him  who  presided, 
no  noise,  but  only  an  unearthly,  horrid  still- 
ness. Nature  seemed  to  lend  her  aid  to 
deepen  the  dread  effect :  there  was  not  a 
breath  stirring  in  the  air,  and  the  half-sub- 
dued light  in  that  hall  of  death  showed 
every  object  with  unusual  distinctness.    All 

8* 


90  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

was  motionless  as  sculpture,  and  a  strange 
feeling  came  upon  me,  as  though  1  was  be- 
coming a  statue.  To  speak  was  impossible ; 
I  was  unconscious  that  I  breathed ;  and  in- 
voluntarily, or,  rather,  against  my  will,  I 
sank  to  the  floor,  assuming  the  cowering 
posture  of  those  who  were  not  actually  en- 
gaged in  murder.  My  arrival  was  during 
a  hush,  just  at  the  crisis  of  death ;  and  to 
that  strange  silence  must  be  attributed  my 
emotion ;  for  I  was  but  too  familiar  with 
murders  of  this  kind,  neither  was  there  any 
thing  novel  in  the  apparatus  employed. 

^'  Occupying  the  centre  of  that  large  room 
were  two  groups,  the  business  of  which 
could  not  be  mistaken.  All  sat  on  the 
floor, — the  middle  figure  of  each  group  being 
held  in  a  sitting  posture  by  several  females 
and  hidden  by  a  large  veil.  On  either  side 
of  each  veiled  figure  was  a  company  of  eight 
or  ten  strong  men,  one  company  hauling 
against  the  other  on  a  white  cord,  which 
was  passed  twice  round  the  neck  of  the 
doomed  one,  who  thus  in  a  few  minutes 
ceased  to  live. 


FUNERAL    CEREMONIES.  91 

''As  my  self-command  was  returning,  the 
group  farthest  from  me  began  to  move ;  the 
men  slackened  their  hold,  and  the  attendant 
women  removed  the  large  covering,  making 
it  into  a  couch  for  the  victim.  As  that 
veil  was  lifted,  some  of  the  men  beheld 
the  distorted  features  of  a  mother  whom 
they  had  helped  to  murder,  and  smiled  with 
satisfaction  as  the  corpse  was  laid  out  for 
decoration.  Convulsive  struggles  on  the 
part  of  the  poor  creature  near  me  showed 
that  she  still  lived.  She  was  a  stout  woman, 
and  some  of  the  executioners  jocosely  in- 
vited those  who  sat  near  to  have  pity  and 
help  them.  At  length  the  women  said,  '  She 
is  cold.'  The  fatal  cord  fell;  and,  as  the 
covering  was  raised,  I  saw  dead  the  obedient 
wife  and  unwearied  attendant  of  the  old 
king.  Leaving  the  women  to  adjust  her 
hair,  oil  her  body,  cover  her  face  with  ver- 
milion, and  adorn  her  with  flowers,  I  passed 
on  to  see  the  remains  of  the  deceased  Tui- 
thakau.  To  my  astonishment,  I  found  him 
alive  !  He  was  weak,  but  quite  conscious, 
and,  whenever  he  coughed,  placed  his  hand 


02  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

on  his  side,  as  though  in  pain.  Yet  his 
chief  wife  and  a  male  attendant  were  cover- 
ing him  with  a  thick  coat  of  black  powder, 
and  tying  round  his  arms  and  legs  a  num- 
ber of  white  scarfs,  fastened  in  rosettes, 
with  the  long  ends  hanging  down  his  sides. 
His  head  was  turbaned  in  a  scarlet  handker- 
chief secured  by  a  chaplet  of  small  white 
cowries ;  and  he  wore  armlets  of  the  same 
shells.  On  his  neck  was  the  ivory  neck- 
lace, formed  in  long  curved  points.  To 
complete  his  royal  attire  according  to  Fijian 
idea,  he  had  on  a  very  large  new  masi,  the 
train  being  wrapped  in  a  number  of  loose 
folds  at  his  feet. 

''  The  conflicting  emotions  which  passed 
through  my  mind  at  that  moment  cannot 
be  described.  I  had  gone  there  to  beg  that 
the  old  man  might  be  buried  alone ;  but  he 
was  not  dead.  I  had  hoped  to  have  prevented 
murder;  but  two  victims  lay  dead  at  my 
feet.  I  came  to  the  young  king  to  ask  for 
the  life  of  women ;  but  it  now  seemed  my 
duty  to  demand  that  of  his  father.  Yet, 
should  my  plea  be  successful,  it  would  cause 


FUNERAL   CEREMONIES.  93 

other  murders  on  a  future  day.  Perplexed 
in  thought,  with  a  deep  gloom  on  my  mind, 
feeling  my  blood  curdle  and  '  the  hair  of 
my  flesh  stand  up,'  I  approached  the  young 
king,  whom  I  could  only  regard  with  ab- 
horrence. He  seemed  greatly  moved,  put 
his  arm  round  and  embraced  me,  saying, 
before  I  could  speak,  '  See  !  the  father  of  us 
two  is  dead.'  '  Dead !'  I  exclaimed,  in  a 
tone  of  surprise:  'dead!  No.'  'Yes,' 
he  answered  :  '  his  spirit  is  gone.  You  see 
his  body  move;  but  that  it  does  uncon- 
sciously.' Knowing  that  it  would  be  use- 
less to  dispute  the  point,  I  ceased  to  care 
for  the  father,  and  went  on  to  say  that  the 
chief  object  of  myself  and  my  colleague  was 
to  beg  him  to  '  love  us,  and  prevent  any 
more  women  from  being  strangled,  as  he 
could  not  by  multiplying  the  dead  render 
any  benefit  to  his  father.'  He  replied, 
'There  are  only  two  ;  but  they  shall  suffice. 
Were  not  you  missionaries  here,  we  would 
make  an  end  of  all  the  women  sitting  around.' 
"  Preparations  being  made  for  removing 
the  bodies,  we,  having  no  further  cause  for 


94  THE   CiNNIEAL   ISLANDS. 

staying,  retired  from  '  the  large  house.' 
In  doing  so,  I  noticed  an  interesting  female, 
oiled  and  dressed  in  a  new  liku,  carrying  a 
long  bamboo,  the  top  of  which  contained 
about  a  pint  of  water,  which,  as  the  bodies 
were  carried  out  at  one  door,  she  poured 
on  the  threshold  of  another,  and  then  re- 
tired by  the  way  she  came.  The  words  of 
the  widow  of  Tekoah  were  thus  brought, 
with  peculiar  force,  to  my  mind  : — '  For  we 
must  needs  die,  and  are  as  water  spilt  on 
the  ground,  which  cannot  be  gathered  up 
again.'  My  inquiry  into  the  origin  and 
meaning  of  this  act  resulted  in  nothing 
satisfactory.  Neither  could  I  learn  why 
the  side  of  the  house  was  broken  down  to 
make  a  passage  for  the  aged  king  to  be  car- 
ried through,  when  there  were  sufficient 
doorways  close  at  hand.  The  bodies  of  the 
strangled  women,  having  been  secured  in 
mats,  were  carried  on  biers  to  the  sea-side. 
They  were  placed  one  on  either  end  of  a 
canoe,  with  the  old  king  on  the  front  deck, 
attended  by  the  queen  and  the  mata,  who 
with  a  fan  kept  the  insects  off  him.     Thus 


FUKERAL   CEREMONIES.  95 

was  Tuithakau  carried  to  Weilangi,  to  the 
sepulchre  of  the  kings. 

"  Tongans  were  appointed  to  bury  the  king. 
The  grave  had  been  dug  by  the  people  of 
the  place,  and  lined  with  mats,  on  which 
the  Tongans  laid  the  bodies  of  the  women, 
and  on  them  the  once  powerful  chief.  The 
shell  ornaments  were  taken  off  his  person, 
which  was  then  covered  with  cloth  and 
mats,  and  the  earth  heaped  upon  him.  He 
was  heard  to  cough  after  a  considerable 
quantity  of  soil  had  been  thrown  in  the 
grave.  These  latter  particulars  I  received 
from  those  who  buried  him,  as  I  could  not 
by  my  presence  seem  to  sanction  the  un- 
natural deed." 

These  people  sometimes  live  to  an  old 
age,  and  when  the  hour  of  death  is  allowed 
to  approach  naturally,  and  the  dying  one  is 
respectable,  or  the  head  of  a  family,  the 
scene  is  certainly  affecting.  The  patriarch 
calls  his  children  around  him,  that  he  may 
say  farewell  and  give  his  parting  advice. 
This  is  generally  commenced  in  the  same 
way  : — "  I  am  going.     You  will   remain." 


96  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

At  that  hour  of  death,  he  never  forgets  ac 
enemy,  and  at  that  time  he  never  forgives 
one.  The  dying  man  mentions  his  foe,  that 
his  children  may  perpetuate  his  hatred — 
it  may  be  against  his  own  son — and  kill 
him  at  the  first  opportunity.  The  name 
of  the  hated  one  is  uttered  aloud,  if  not  as 
the  object  of  immediate  vengeance,  yet  of 
gloomy  and  disastrous  predictions,  which 
never  fail  to  reach  the  ears  where  they  are 
least  welcome.  The  impn^ssion  made  on 
the  minds  of  those  to  whom  the  carrying 
out  of  their  dark  purport  is  intrusted  is 
indelible.  Thus,  with  the  deep  marks  of  a 
murderous,  unforgiving  spirit  upon  him, 
does  the  heathen  pass  away  to  his  account. 
At  some  funerals  priests  attend,  and  super- 
intend the  ceremonies.  A  grave,  rarely 
more  than  three  feet  deep,  is  prepared. 
When  the  rites  are  finished,  mats  are  laid  at 
the  bottom,  and  the  body  or  bodies,  wrapped 
in  other  mats  and  native  cloth,  are  placed 
thereon,  the  edges  of  the  under  mats  folding 
over  all.  The  earth  is  then  thrown  in.  Many 
yards  of  the  man's  onasi  are  often  left  out 


FUNERAL    CEREMONIES.  97 

of  the  grave,  and  carried  in  festoons  over 
the  branches  of  a  neighboring  tree. 

Over  some  of  the  graves  a  small  roof  is 
built,  three  or  six  feet  high,  the  gables  of 
which  are  filled  in  with  sinnet.  Common 
graves  are  only  edged  with  stones,  or  have 
nothing  more  than  one  set  at  the  head  and 
another  at  the  foot. 

One  pretty  custom  is  observed  at  La- 
kemba.  A  procession  of  women  go  forth 
each  bearing  a  basket  of  pure  white  sand, 
with  which  to  cover  the  grave,— one  part,  in 
a  clear,  musical  tone,  singing,  '' U-ui-e," 
while  the  rest  respond,  "U-yara."  Yet  this 
was  ascertained  to  be  mere  ceremony,  with 
no  appropriate  feeling,  when  loud  laughter 
from  the  women  greeted  the  ear. 

So  strong  is  the  desire  for  a  friend  to 
have  company  in  the  spirit-land,  that  even 
the  Christians,  who  now  disbelieve  their 
former  traditions,  could  not  conceal  their 
joy  when  they  found  that,  one  of  their 
chiefs  having  been  killed,  a  ball  at  the  same 
time  entered  the  body  of  a  young  man.     It 


98  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

seemed  to  them  a  pleasant  thought  that  he 
would  not  be  alone. 

But  the  heathen  not  only  desires  his 
friend  to  have  companions,  but  he  sends 
them  after  him.  These  victims  are  ge- 
nerally the  wives  of  the  deceased, — some- 
times the  mother ;  and  if  a  chief  has  an  in- 
timate friend,  it  is  deemed  proper  that  he 
should  die  with  him,  in  order  to  prevent 
any  interruption  of  their  intimacy.  These 
victims  are  called  *'  grass,"  and  are  laid  in 
the  grave  first  on  mats,  and  their  chief 
then  placed  over  them. 

It  is  seldom  that  a  woman  makes  any 
objection  to  this  sacrifice;  for  the  fear  of 
public  opinion  is  stronger  than  that  of 
death.  Excited  and  urged  on  by  her  friends 
and  relations,  who  know  that  their  neglect 
to  kill  their  mother  or  sister  will  be  con- 
strued into  disrespect  or  indifference  for  the 
deceased, — knowing  that  if  she  refuses  death 
her  life  will  be  insupportable  from  the  pri- 
vations and  cruelties  she  will  suffer, — she 
consents  to  die. 

Some  die   courageously,  others    sullenly 


FUNERAL    CEREMONIES.  99 

or  silently.  They  even  have  carried  their 
mats  in  which  they  were  to  be  wrapped, 
und  then  helped  to  dig  their  graves.  They 
know  but  little  of  the  future,  and  have  but 
slight  pleasure  in  the  present. 

A  white  man  once  rescued  a  woman, 
driving  the  murderers  away.  He  took  her 
home,  and,  after  some  pains,  resuscitated  her; 
but  as  soon  as  she  became  conscious,  instead 
of  thanking  him  for  deliverance  from  death, 
she  poured  a  torrent  of  abuse  upon  him,  and 
ever  after  manifested  the  deepest  hatred  to- 
wards him. 

When  Mbati  ISTamu  was  killed,  the  rela- 
tives of  Sa  Ndrungu,  his  chief  wife,  brought 
and  offered  her  to  his  friends.  A  mission- 
ary presented  his  soro  for  her  life;  but  it 
was  neutralized  by  her  friends  presenting 
one  to  "press  it  down."  He  made  another 
offering,  gained  his  point,  and  sent  the  dis- 
appointed murderers  about  their  business, — 
one  holding  a  bottle  of  oil,  another  turmeric 
powder,  and  a  third  the  instrument  of  death, 
— all  sad  at  heart  that  these  were  not  to  be 
used.     A  short  time  after,  in  consequence 


100  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

of  the  dissatisfaction  of  her  friends,  the 
woman  left  the  Christian  village,  crossed 
the  river,  and  entered  the  house  of  the  man 
who  was  most  anxious  to  destroy  her,  taking 
her  stand  in  the  midst,  so  as  to  intimate 
that  she  gave  herself  up  to  his  will.  The 
missionary  followed,  and  got  permission  from 
the  dead  chief's  brother  to  take  her  back 
with  him,  and  by  taking  his  proffered  hand 
she  might  have  lived.  She  intimated  her 
sense  of  his  kind  intention,  but  declined  to 
accompany  him.  Next  morning  she  was 
strangled. 

Two  women  who  were  to  be  strangled 
together,  and  who  knew  something  of  the 
gospel,  said  to  a  teacher  who  had  been  try- 
ing to  save  their  lives,  ''  Our  case  is  one 
to  cause  pity ;  but  we  dare  not  live :  our 
friends  dare  not  save  usT 

But  the  greatest  evils  fall  on  the  children, 
who  are  thus  left,  without  father  or  mother, 
to  the  care  of  those  who  love  their  own 
children  little  and  these  orphans  less.  In 
one  class  of  seventeen  in  the  mission-school, 
Dine  were  orphans.     At  a  baptism  on  the 


FUNEEAL   CEREMONIES.  101 

Vanua  Levu,  of  nine  boys  three  were 
brothers,  and  of  the  entire  number  but  four 
of  the  parents  were  living,  the  rest  having 
met  violent  deaths.  This  is  but  a  glimpse 
of  the  appalling  facts  which  an  examination 
would  develop.  Surely  the  heart  must  be 
hard  almost  as  that  of  the  heathen  that 
can  coldly  view  these  scenes  and  yet  feel  no 
desire  to  bless  them  with  the  good  news  the 
gospel  brings. 


102  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CANNIBALISM. 


We  come  now  to  a  subject  almost  too  re- 
volting to  be  dwelt  upon ;  but,  as  ''  canni- 
balism among  this  people  is  one  of  their 
institutions,  interwoven  in  the  elements  of 
society,"  it  must  be  treated  somewhat  in 
detail. 

Until  recently,  there  were  many  who 
refused  to  believe  in  the  existence  of  this 
horrible  practice  in  modern  times ;  but  the 
evidence  is  too  conclusive  for  any  one  now 
to  doubt.  The  motives  that  actuate  the 
cannibals  are  principally  revenge  and  relish 
for  human  flesh.  When  they  are  talked  to 
on  the  subject,  the  only  answer  both  chiefs 
and  common  people  have  made  is,  that  it  is 
"good!" 

Now,  since  they  have  discovered  the  ex- 
treme abhorrence  in  which  Europeans  hold 


CANNIBALISM,  103 

the  practice,  they  are  very  averse  to  speak 
of  it. 

There  are  few  chiefs  who  are  not  foremost 
among  their  people  in  the  indulgence  of 
this  horrible  custom ;  yet  some  rare  excep- 
tions hate  cannibalism,  and  never  can  be 
induced  to  taste  human  flesh. 

They  generally  secure  for  this  purpose 
the  bodies  of  all  slain  in  battle.  Persons 
shipwrecked  are  considered  to  have  been 
sent  by  the  gods,  and  are  never  spared.  A 
common,  because  easy,  method  of  obtaining 
victims,  is  to  seize  the  women  who  are  fish- 
ing on  the  reefs.  Women  and  some  of  the 
priests  are  forbidden  to  eat  of  the  bakolo;* 
but  their  abstinence  is  only  public,  for  it  ia 
a  well-known  fact  that  women  secretly  par- 
take of  the  food. 

The  following  facts  illustrate  the  reason 
of  holding  and  the  manner  of  supplying 
their  feasts,  and  also  show  the  heroism  of 
two  ladies  belonging  to  the  mission. 

The  Mbutoni  tribe  of  Mbau  are  rovers, 

*  A  human  bo  ly  fov  eating. 


104  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

spending  mucli  of  their  time  on  the  sea. 
In  1849,  a  large  company  of  them  returned 
to  Mbau,  after  an  absence  of  seven  years, 
bringing  an  unusually  large  tribute  to  the 
king.  Extraordinary  exertions  were  made 
to  entertain  so  large  and  profitable  a  com- 
pany. As  it  was  necessary  to  obtain  human 
food  for  them,  two  youths  were  taken  and 
killed.  But  this  was  not  nearly  enough. 
Ngavindi,  the  chief  of  the  fishermen,  and 
purveyor  for  the  cannibal  feasts,  felt  his 
personal  honor  involved  in  the  matter.  He 
was  young,  and  was  on  intimate  terms  with 
the  missionaries  and  had  been  much  under 
their  influence ;  but  they  were  at  this  time 
absent  from  Mbau,  and  his  fear  of  their  dis- 
approbation yielded  to  the  dread  of  being 
disgraced  by  not  entertaining  his  guests 
in  a  suitable  manner.  He  called  the  people 
and  priests  together,  and  said  to  them, 
"  We  shall  lose  our  renown.  We  shall  not 
be  dreaded  or  fed.  We  have  provided  no 
food  for  the  visitors.  We  must  go  to  it  in 
earnest.  We  will  seek  for  enemies  to  Mbau. 
If  we  cannot  catch  any  enemies,  we  will  kill 


CANNIBALISM.  105 

some  who  are  friendly;  and,  if  we  cannot 
get  either  friends  or  enemies,  some  of  our- 
selves must  be  strangled.  Otherwise,  we 
shall  be  disgraced  for  not  doing  what  is  our 
special  work.  Others  are  procuring :  we 
must  have  some  human  beings." 

The  priests  promised  success,  and,  cover- 
ing the  ends  of  their  canoes  with  green 
leaves,  they  hid  under  some  mangrove-bushes 
at  one  end  of  the  adjacent  islands. 

Unconscious  of  their  hidden  foes  and  of 
the  awful  doom  awaiting  them,  a  company 
of  women  came  down  to  the  shore  to  catch 
shell-fish.  As  they  were  pursuing  their 
occupation,  the  concealed  cannibals  rushed 
upon  them :  fourteen  were  taken,  and  one 
man  who  was  with  them  was  killed.  The 
noise  of  the  sacred  drums  announced  to  the 
people  of  Mbau  the  approach  of  the  canoes 
with  the  victims,  and  eager  crowds  met  them 
at  the  landing  with  loud  rejoicings  and  con- 
gratulations. 

The  report  of  these  deeds  reached  the 
mission-house  at  Viwa,  a  few  miles  distant, 
where  Mrs.   Lyth  and  Mrs.  Calvert  were 


106  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

alone  with  their  children.  The  hoirible 
tidings  moved  these  Christian  women  most 
deeply;  but  what  could  they  do?  Their 
husbands  were  far  away  from  them.  To  go 
among  these  savages,  now  maddened  and 
excited  by  the  prospect  of  the  feast  before 
them,  and  ask  them  to  forego  it  and  sur- 
render the  victims  they  had  just  secured, 
was  surely  a  daring  act  for  two  English- 
women to  undertake.  But  this  they  deter- 
mined to  do ;  and,  though  in  themselves  they 
were  weak,  and  the  peril  of  death  was  before 
them,  they  went,  trusting  in  "  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  their  refuge  and  their  strength." 
They  knew  that  their  husbands,  had  they 
been  at  home,  would  have  dared  all  danger 
to  save  the  victims  from  the  sacrifice  and 
the  people  from  the  sin.  It  was  but  right 
for  them  to  do  what  they  could  to  supply 
their  place. 

As  they  drew  near  Mbau,  the  fearful  din 
grew  louder.  Yet  above  the  firing  of  mus- 
kets, the  roar  of  drums,  and  the  shouts  of 
the  people,  arose  the  agonizing  cries  of  the 
victims.    With  horror  the  conviction  pressed 


CANNIBALISM.  107 

on  them  that  they  were  too  late !  The  mur- 
der had  commenced ! 

Fear  gave  way  to  impatience  at  that 
wild  warning,  and  the  Englishwomen's 
voices  urged  the  laboring  boatmen  to  make 
better  speed.  They  reached  the  beach,  and 
were  met  by  a  lotu  (Christian)  chief,  who 
dared  to  join  them,  saying,  ''  Make  haste ! 
Some  are  dead ;  but  some  are  alive  !"  Sur- 
rounded by  an  unseen  guard  which  none 
might  break  through,  the  women  of  God 
passed  through  the  blood-maddened  canni- 
bals unhurt.  They  pressed  forward  to  the 
house  of  the  old  king  Tanoa,  the  entrance  to 
which  was  strictly  forbidden  to  all  women. 

It  was  no  time  for  ceremony  now.  With 
a  whale's  tooth  in  each  hand,  and  still  ac- 
companied by  the  Christian  chief,  they 
thrust  themselves  into  the  grim  presence  of 
the  king,  and  prayed  their  prayer  of  mercy. 
The  old  man  was  startled  at  the  audacity 
of  the  intruders.  His  hearing  was  dull,  and 
they  raised  their  voices  higher  to  plead  for 
their  dark  sisters'  lives.  The  king  said, 
*'  Those  who  are,  dead  are  dead ;  but  those 


108  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

who  are  still  alive  shall  live  only."  At  that 
word,  a  man  ran  to  Ngavindi,  to  stop  his 
butchery,  and  returned  to  say  that  five  still 
lived ;  the  rest  of  the  fourteen  were  k  illed. 
But  the  messengers  of  pity  could  not  leave 
their  work  unfinished.  They  went  to  the 
house  of  the  murderer,  and  found  him  sit- 
ting in  state,  in  full  dress,  but  evidently 
very  uncomfortable.  He  winced  under  the 
sharp  rebuke  of  the  missionaries'  wives,  and 
muttered  something  about  his  friendliness 
to  the  lotu  (Christianity).  Even  in  canni- 
bal Mbau,  all  did  not  consent  to  the  deed 
of  darkness.  Thakombau's  chief  wife  and 
Ngavindi's  wife  had  already  secured  the 
life  and  liberty  of  two  of  the  victims ;  and 
when  Mrs.  Calvert  and  Mrs.  Lyth  left  there 
were  others  who  blessed  them  for  their  work 
of  love. 

Disgusting  as  is  this  subject,  a  book  on 
Fiji  would  be  defective  were  it  passed  by  in 
silence.  Yet  we  will  but  slightly  lift  the 
veil  to  show  the  depths  of  degradation  to 
which  depraved  man  can  fall  when  left  to 
himself. 


CANNIBALISM.  109 

"Cannibalism,"  says  Mr.  Williams,  "does 
not  confine  its  selection  to  one  sex  or  a  par- 
ticular age.  I  have  seen  the  gray-headed 
and  children  of  both  sexes  devoted  to  the 
oven.  I  have  labored  to  make  the  mur- 
derers of  females  ashamed  of  themselves,  and 
have  heard  their  cowardly  cruelty  defended 
by  the  assertion  that  such  victims  were 
doubly  good, — because  they  ate  well,  and 
because  of  the  distress  it  caused  their  hus- 
bands and  friends." 

"  Native  warriors  carry  their  revenge 
beyond  death  :  so  that  bodies  slain  in  battle 
are  often  mutilated  in  a  frightful  manner, — a 
treatment  which  is  considered  neither  mean 
nor  brutal.  When  the  bodies  of  enemies 
are  procured  for  the  oven,  the  event  is 
published  by  a  peculiar  beating  of  the 
drum,  which  alarmed  me  even  before  I 
was  informed  of  its  import.  Soon  after 
hearing  it,  I  saw  two  canoes  steering  for  the 
island,  while  some  one  on  board  struck  the 
water,  at  intervals,  with  a  long  pole,  to  de- 
note that  they  had  killed  some  one.  When 
sufficiently  near,  they  began   their  fiendish 

10 


110  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

war-dance,  which  was  answered  by  the  in- 
decent dance  of  the  women.  On  the  boxed 
end  of  one  of  the  canoes  was  a  human  corpse, 
which  was  cut  adrift  and  tumbled  into  the 
water  soon  after  the  canoe  touched  land, 
when  it  was  tossed  to  and  fro  by  the  rising 
and  falling  waves  until  the  men  had  reported 
their  exploit,  when  it  was  dragged  ashore 
by  a  vine  tied  to  the  left  hand.  A  crowd, 
chiefly  females,  surrounded  the  dead  man, 
who  was  above  the  ordinary  size,  and  ex- 
pressed most  unfeelingly  their  surprise  and 
delight.  'A  man,  truly!  a  ship!  a  land!' 
The  warriors,  having  rested,  put  a  vine 
round  the  other  wrist  of  the  hakolo, — dead 
body  designed  for  eating, — and  two  of  them 
dragged  it,  face  downwards,  to  the  town,  the 
rest  going  before  and  performing  the  war- 
dance,  which  consists  in  jumping,  brandish- 
ing of  weapons,  and  two  or  three,  in  advance 
of  the  main  body,  running  towards  the  town, 
throwing  their  clubs  aloft,  or  firing  muskets, 
while  they  assure  those  within  of  their  capa- 
bility to  defend  them.     A  song  was  uttered 


CANNIBALISM.  Ill 

in  i.  wild  monotone,  finished  with  shrill 
yells. 

"  On  reaching  the  middle  of  the  town,  the 
body  was  thrown  down  before  the  chief,  who 
directed  the  priest  to  offer  it  in  due  form  to 
the  war-god.  Fire  had  been  placed  in  the 
great  oven,  and  the  smoke  rose  above  the 
old  temple,  as  the  body  was  again  drawn  to 
the  shore  to  be  cut  up.  The  carver  used  a 
piece  of  slit  bamboo,  with  which,  after  hav- 
ing washed  the  body  in  the  sea,  he  cut  off 
the  several  members,  joint  by  joint.  The 
several  parts  were  then  folded  in  leaves  and 
placed  in  the  oven. 

"  Revenge  is  undoubtedly  the  main  cause 
of  cannibalism  in  Fiji,  but  by  no  means  in-* 
variably  so.  I  have  known  many  cases  in 
which  such  a  motive  could  not  have  been 
present.  Sometimes,  however,  this  prin- 
ciple is  horribly  manifested. 

''  A  woman  taken  from  a  town  besieged 
by  Ea  Undreunde,*  and  where  one  of  his 

*  A  most  noted  cannibal,  who  was  said  to  have  eaten 
nine  hundred  persons. 


112  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

friends  had  been  killed,  was  placed  in  a 
large  wooden  dish  and  cut  up  alive,  that 
none  of  the  blood  might  be  lost.  In  1850, 
Tuikilakila  inflicted  a  severe  blow  on  his 
old  enemies  the  Natewans,  when  nearly  one 
hundred  of  them  were  slain,  among  whom 
was  found  the  body  of  Ratu  Rakesa,  the 
king's  own  cousin.  The  chiefs  of  the  vic- 
torious side  endeavored  to  obtain  permission 
to  bury  him,  since  he  held  the  high  rank  of 
Rakesa,  and  because  there  was  such  a  great 
abundance  of  hakolo.  '  Bring  him  here/ 
said  Tuikilakila,  '  that  I  may  see  him.'  He 
looked  on  the  corpse  with  unfeigned  delight. 
'  This,'  said  he,  '  is  a  most  fitting  offering  to 
Na  Tavasara  (the  war-god).  Present  it  to 
him  :  let  it  then  be  cooked,  and  reserved  for 
my  own  consumption.  None  shall  share 
with  me.  Had  I  fallen  into  his  hands,  he 
would  have  eaten  me :  now  that  he  has 
fallen  into  my  hands,  I  will  eat  him.'  And 
it  is  said  that  he  fulfilled  his  word  in  a  few 
days,  the  body  being  lightly  baked  at  first, 
and  then  preserved  by  repeated  cooking." 
*'  When  I  first  knew  Loti,  he  was  living 


CANNIBALISM.  113 

at  Na  Euwai.  A  few  years  before,  he  killed 
his  only  wife  and  ate  her.  She  accompanied 
him  to  plant  taro,  and,  when  the  work  was 
done,  he  sent  her  to  fetch  wood,  with  which 
he  made  a  fire,  while  she,  at  his  bidding, 
collected  leaves  and  grass  to  line  the  oven, 
and  procured  a  bamboo  to  cut  up  what  was 
to  be  cooked.  When  she  had  cheerfully 
obeyed  his  commands,  the  monster  seized 
his  wife,  deliberately  dismembered  her,  and 
cooked  and  ate  her,  calling  some  to  help 
him  in  consuming  the  unnatural  feast.  The 
woman  was  his  equal,  one  with  whom  he 
lived  comfortably ;  he  had  no  quarrel  with 
her  or  cause  of  complaint.  Twice  he  might 
have  defended  his  conduct  to  me,  had  he 
been  so  disposed,  but  he  only  assented  to 
the  truth  of  what  I  here  record.  The  only 
motives  could  have  been  a  fondness  for  human 
flesh,  and  a  hope  that  he  should  be  spoken 
of  and  pointed  out  as  a  terrific  fellow." 

But  let  this  suffice.  The  horrible  facts 
of  the  cannibalism  of  the  Fijians  must  be 
brought  to  light.  We  will  not  detail  them 
further. 

10* 


114  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

This  custom  makes  the  position  of  the 
missionaries  among  them  peculiarly  trying. 
Well  may  Captain  Wilkes,  in  speaking  of 
the  gentleness  and  refinement  of  the  mis- 
sionary ladies,  wonder  how  they  can  endure 
such  a  life.  They  could  not,  were  they  not 
sustained  by  a  strength  above  their  own. 
''  God  is  their  help  and  their  shield,  because 
they  trust  in  his  holy  name."  For  him, 
and  for  the  precious  immortal  souls  of  those 
whom  Satan  has  bound  in  chains  of  sin,  they 
leave  home  and  kindred  to  dwell  amid  un- 
speakable horrors.  They  follow  Christ ;  and 
he  will  be  their  everlasting  reward. 


WAE   IN    FIJI.         •  115 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WAR   IN   FIJI. 

Fiji  is  rarely  free  from  war  and  its  at- 
tendant evils.  When  on  his  feet,  the  Fijian 
is  always  armed ;  when  working  in  his  gar- 
den, or  lying  on  his  mat,  his  arms  are  always 
at  hand.  This,  however,  is  not  to  be  attri- 
buted to  his  bold  or  choleric  temper,  but  to 
suspicion  and  dread.  Fear  arms  the  Fijian. 
His  own  heart  tells  him  that  no  one  could 
trust  him  and  be  safe,  whence  he  infers  that 
his  own  security  consists  in  universal  mis- 
trust of  others.  The  club  or  spear  is  the 
companion  of  all  his  walks ;  but  it  is  only 
for  defence.  This  is  proved  by  every  man 
you  meet :  in  the  distance  you  see  him  with 
his  weapon  shouldered;  getting  nearer,  he 
lowers  it  to  his  knee,  gives  you  the  path, 
and  passes  on.  This  is  invariable,  except 
when  the  people  meet  purposely  to  fight,  or 


116  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS, 

when  two  enemies  come  unexpectedly  to- 
gether. When  war  is  decided  upon  between 
two  powers,  a  formal  message  to  that  effect 
is  interchanged,  and  informal  messages  in 
abundance,  warning  each  other  to  strengthen 
their  fences  and  carry  them  up  to  the  sky. 
Councils  are  held,  in  which  future  action  is 
planned.  Before  going  to  war  with  men, 
they  study  to  be  right  with  the  gods. 
Ruined  temples  are  rebuilt,  some  half  buried 
in  weeds  are  brought  to  light,  and  new  ones 
erected.  Costly  offerings  are  brought  to  the 
gods,  and  prayers  presented  for  the  utter 
destruction  of  the  enemy.  Much  confidence 
is  placed  in  the  god's  help  thus  purchased. 
When  it  was  said  to  a  small  party  on  their 
way  to  war,  "  You  are  few,"  they  promptly 
replied,  ''  Our  allies  are  the  gods." 

Yet  their  dependence  on  their  gods  is  not 
so  entire  as  to  make  them  indifferent  to 
human  assistance.  If  the  tribe  be  a  power- 
ful one,  it  probably  has  under  its  protection 
smaller  tribes,  who  are  expected  to  assist 
their  ally  in  time  of  war.  They  know  very 
well  that  a  refusal  to  give  their  aid  would 


WAR   IN   FIJI.  117 

be  disastrous  to  them.  Sometimes  an  ap- 
peal is  made  to  a  friendly  neighbor  :  a  favor- 
able answer  is  returned  by  sending  a  club 
or  spear,  and  the  message,  ''  I  have  sent  my 
club :  by-and-by  I  will  follow." 

Visitors  are  always  expected  to  assist  the 
chief  who  entertains  them. 

The  declaration  of  war  having  been  made, 
both  parties  earnestly  prepare  for  battle. 
As  there  is  no  regular  army,  the  forces  are 
collected  in  various  ways  :  the  only  qualifi- 
cation required  of  a  warrior  is  ability  to 
handle  some  sort  of  weapon. 

It  is  not  often  that  a  force  of  more  than  a 
thousand  is  raised.  The  army  is  collected 
by  the  taqa,  a  kind  of  review  held  at  each 
town  on  the  line  of  march.  First  comes  the 
leader,  and  then  others,  singly  at  the  be- 
ginning, but  afterwards  in  companies  of  six, 
or  ten,  or  twenty.  It  is  impossible  to  tell 
all  that  is  said  when  many  are  speaking  at 
once ;  but  there  is  no  lack  of  bragging,  if 
single  challengers  may  be  taken  as  speci- 
mens. One  man  runs  up  to  the  chief, 
brandishes  his  club,  and  exclaims,  "  Sir,  do 


118  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

you  know  me  ?  Your  eneLiies  soon  will !" 
Another,  darting  forward,  says,  "  See  this 
hatchet,  how  clean  !  To-morrow  it  will  be 
bathed  in  blood  !"  One  cries  out,  "  This  is 
my  club,  the  club  that  never  yet  was  false  !" 
The  next,  ''  This  army  moves  to-morrow ; 
then  you  shall  eat  dead  men  till  you  are  sur- 
feited!" A  man,  striking  the  ground  vio- 
lently with  his  club,  boasts,  "  I  cause  the 
earth  to  tremble :  it  is  I  who  meet  the  enemy 
to-morrow  !"  "  See,"  exclaims  another,  "  I 
hold  a  musket  and  a  battle-axe !  If  the 
musket  miss  fire,  the  hatchet  will  not !" 
On  one  occasion  a  young  man  stepped 
towards  a  king,  holding  a  pole  used  as  an 
anchor,  and  said,  "  See,  sire,  the  anchor  of 
Natewa!*  I  will  do  thus  with  it!"  And 
he  broke  the  pole  across  his  knee.  A  man, 
swinging  a  ponderous  club,  said,  "  This  club 
is  a  defence,  a  shade  from  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  and  the  cold  of  the  rain."  Glancing 
at  the  chief,  he  added,  ''  You  may  come 
under  it."     A  fiery  youth  ran  up,  as  though 

*  The  place  against  which  they  were  going  to  fight. 


WAR   IN    FIJI.  119 

breathless,  crying  out,  ''  I  long  to  be  gone ! 
I  am  impatient!"  One  of  the  same  kind 
said,  "  Ah,  ah !  these  boasters  are  deceivers ! 
I  unly  am  a  true  man :  in  the  battle  you 
shall  find  me  so."  These  "  great  swelling 
words"  are  listened  to  with  mingled  laughter 
and  applause.  The  fighting-men  have  their 
bodies  covered  with  black  powder;  some, 
however,  confine  this  to  the  upper  part  only. 
An  athletic  warrior  thus  powdered,  so  as  to 
make  his  skin  wear  a  velvet-like  blackness, 
has  a  truly  formidable  appearance,  his  eyes 
and  teeth  gleaming  with  very  efi'ective 
whiteness.  If  the  chief  intends  attacking 
a  fortress,  the  difficulties  in  his  way  are 
often  great,  as  the  mountains  afford  many  and 
safe  fastnesses,  of  which  the  weaker  tribes 
generally  avail  themselves,  often  fortifying 
them  with  much  skill. 

The  fortress  of  Nateva  Matua  is  an  im- 
mense rock,  not  unlike  an  old  feudal  castle 
in  appearance.  It  is  perpendicular  on  every 
side  but  one,  where  a  path  only  wide  enough 
for  one  person  winds  precipitously  down- 
ward.    The  top  of  the  mountain  is  flat,  and 


WAR    IN    FIJI.  121 

victory  with  exaggerated  boastings.  Yet 
so  frequent  are  their  conflicts  that  the  an- 
nual loss  of  life  from  this  cause  has  been 
estimated  at  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand, 
without  including  the  widows  strangled  in 
consequence. 

The  introduction  of  fire-arms,  increasing 
the  danger,  has  diminished  the  amount  of 
war.  Formerly  the  chiefs  were  held  in  such 
reverence  that  they  were  rarely  harmed  in 
battle ;  but  now  the  bullet  proves  so  often 
fatal  to  them  that  their  relish  for  war  has 
decreased. 

The  natives  are  said  to  be  so  expert  that 
they  can  see  the  flash  of  a  gun  and  fall  on 
the  ground  in  time  to  let  the  bullet  pass 
over  them. 

In  treating  for  peace,  the  common  method 

is  to  send  a  messenger  with  a  whale's  tooth 

as  a  token  of  submission.     The  conditions 

made  by  the  conquerors  are  often  severe. 

The  conquered  tribe  is  frequently  required 

to  give  up  the  *^  right  of  soil,"  which  is  done 

by  sending    the  victorious  party  a  basket 

containing  soil  from  their  land;   after  this 
11 


122  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

they  are  expected  to  render  annual  tribute. 
Sometimes  they  are  obliged  to  crawl  on 
their  hands  and  knees  to  their  conquerors, 
and,  with  their  heads  in  the  dust,  to  beg  for 
pardon  and  mercy.  When  peace  is  con- 
cluded, both  parties  throw  down  their  arms. 

But  submission  often  does  not  avail  to 
stem  the  tide  of  cruelty  that  overwhelms 
the  defeated  party.  The  barbarities  used 
towards  captives  and  the  bodies  of  those 
slain  would  be  incredible,  had  they  not  been 
witnessed. 

Treachery  in  war,  as  in  ordinary  life,  is 
of  frequent  occurrence. 

The  horrors  perpetrated  in  sacking  a 
town  are  truly  awful.  Instances  have  been 
known  of  people,  singly  and  in  companies, 
committing  suicide  rather  than  be  subject 
to  the  outrages  of  their  conquerors. 

It  is  customary  throughout  Fiji  to  give 
honorary  names  to  such  as  have  clubbed  a 
human  being  of  any  age  or  either  sex 
during  a  war.  The  new  epithet  is  given 
with  the  complimentary  prefix  Koroi.  I 
once  asked  a  man  why  he  was  called  Koroi. 


WAR   IN    FIJI.  123 

"Because,"  he  replied,  "I,  with  several 
other  men,  found  some  women  and  children 
in  a  cave,  drew  them  out  and  clubbed  them, 
and  then  was  consecrated."  If  the  man 
killed  has  been  of  distinguished  rank,  the 
slayer  is  allowed  to  take  his  name ;  or  he  is 
honored  by  being  styled  the  comb,  the  dog, 
the  canoe,  or  the  fort  of  some  great  living 
chief.  Warriors  of  rank  receive  proud  titles ; 
such  as  ''the  divider  of"  a  district,  ''the 
waster  of"  a  coast,  "the  depopulator  of"  an 
island, — the  name  of  the  place  in  question 
being  affixed. 

Defensive  armor  is  rarely  worn  by  the 
Fijian  warrior.  His  skin  is  oiled  and  cov- 
ered with  a  bluish-black  powder,  his  face 
painted,  and  his  hair  dressed,  and  even  to 
foreign  eyes  he  presents  a  fine  appearance. 
His  tall  figure  exhibits  strength  and  manli- 
ness; his  martial  carriage,  his  proud  step, 
and  his  eyes  gleaming  with  restlessness  and 
excitement,  make  it  difficult  to  believe  that 
he  can  ever  be  a  coward.  Chiefs  there  are 
whose  brave  appearance  is  a  true  index  to 
their  character.     The  arms  chiefly  in  use 


124  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

are  clubs,  spears,  slings,  battle-axes,  bows 
and  arrows,  and  muskets.  Of  these  the  two 
first  are  the  favorite  weapons.  The  spears 
are  often  ten  or  fifteen  feet  long,  and  are 
used  with  fatal  effect.  Some  are  barbed, 
others  armed  with  the  thorns  of  the  sting- 
ray, while  others  still  are  made  of  a  wood 
which  bursts  when  moist,  so  as  to  be  very- 
difficult  to  extract  from  a  wound. 

These  weapons  all  have  significant  names, 
such  as  ''  damaging  beyond  hope,"  or,  with 
more  subtle  meaning,  "  the  priest  is  too 
late." 

In  a  siege  arrows  are  used  with  effect, 
and  the  bow — in  itself  a  poor  weapon,  as 
made  by  them — is  handled  with  much  skill 
by  the  women. 

The  instances  are  rare  where  there  is  aught 
to  excite  admiration  in  the  character  of  the 
Fijian  warrior.  The  jealous  pride  of  the 
chiefs,  and  the  existence  of  so  many  inde- 
pendent governments  in  such  close  proximity, 
with  suspicious  distrust  of  each  other  com- 
mon to  all,  sufficiently  account  for  the  con- 
stant presence  of  war  among  them.     The 


WAR    IN    FIJI. 


125 


love  of  glory  or  genuine  patriotism  seldom 
leads  them  into  battle.  They  are  sometimes 
heroic  in  words,  but  the  dangers  and  priva- 
tions of  war  generally  find  them  timid  and 
eifeminate.  Their  estimate  of  life  is  so  low 
that  they  are  often  careless  in  throwing  it 
away;  but  it  is  seldom  that  a  noble  emotion 
or  principle  influences  them  to  self-sacrifice. 


THE    NOSE    FLUTE. 


126  THE  CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SOCIAL    HABITS. 

Notwithstanding  the  many  disadvan- 
tages under  which  the  Fijian  lives,  he  is 
not  without  the  enjoyments  of  social  life. 
He  eagerly  seeks  a  companion,  and  delights 
in  a  merry  jest.  The  interest  shown  in  a 
tale,  and  the  shouting  in  chorus  of  a  native 
song,  prove  how  much  pleasure  he  finds  in 
society.  The  form  and  the  construction  of 
houses  in  Fiji  vary  much  among  differ- 
ent tribes.  The  improvement  in  building- 
tools  has  made  a  corresponding  change  for 
the  better  in  their  style  of  building  in  late 
years.  The  Fijians  are  said,  by  an  intelli- 
gent visitor  among  them,  to  have  made  con- 
siderable progress  in  architecture;  and  he 
adds  that  they  are  the  only  people  he  has 
seen,  called  by  Europeans  "  savages,"  who 
manifest  a  taste  for  the  fine  arts. 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  127 

Where  part  of  the  floor  of  a  house  is 
raised,  forming  a  dais,  which  by  day  is  the 
divan  and  by  night  the  bed  of  a  chief,  it 
is  covered  with  mats,  varying  in  number 
from  two  to  ten,  and  spread  over  a  thick 
layer  of  dried  grass  and  elastic  ferns,  while 
on  them  are  placed  two  or  three  neat  wooden 
or  bamboo  pillows.  Over  this  hangs  the 
mosquito-curtain,  which  is  generally  large 
enough  to  hang  across  the  house,  thus  giving 
to  one  end  of  it  an  air  of  comfort.  Checkered 
baskets,  gourds,  and  bottles  for  scented  oil 
are  hung  about  the  walls;  and  in  a  con- 
spicuous place  stands  or  hangs  the  yaqona 
bowl,  with  a  strainer  and  cup.  In  various 
parts  are  suspended  fans,  a  sunshade  made 
of  the  leaf  of  the  cabbage-palm,  an  oil-dish 
of  dark  wood,  and  several  food-dishes  of 
wood  or  wicker-work.  On  a  slight  frame 
behind  the  curtain  stands  a  chest  or  two, 
with  a  musket  hanging  above,  and  perhaps 
an  axe  and  spade  beneath.  Along  the  foot 
of  the  wall  rest  oblong  wooden  bowls  with 
four  feet,  or  round  earthen  pans  with  none. 
If  there  is  any  arrow-root,  it  is  preserved 


128  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

in  coarse,  wide-mouthed  jars;  and  one  or 
more  glazed  water- vessels  have  a  place  near 
the  hearth  or  bed,  set  in  a  nest  of  dry  grass. 
The  other  domestic  apparatus  is  found  near 
the  hearth,  and  comprises  nets,  a  bone  knife 
for  cutting  bread  from  the  pit,  and  another 
of  foreign  make  for  cutting  up  yams,  &c. ;  a 
concave  board,  four  or  six  feet  long,  on  which 
to  work  up  the  bread,  and  round  stones  for 
mashing  the  same ;  coarse  baskets  for  vege- 
tables, cocoa-nut  and  bamboo  vessels  for  salt 
and  fresh  water,  and  soup-dishes,  and  a 
ladle  made  of  the  nut-shell.  On  the  hearth, 
each  set  on  three  stones,  are  several  pots, 
capable  of  holding  from  a  quart  to  five  gal- 
lons. Near  these  are  a  cord  for  binding 
fuel,  a  skewer  for  trying  cooked  food,  and, 
in  the  better  houses,  a  wooden  fork, — a 
luxury  which  probably  the  Fijian  enjoyed 
\\hen  our  worthy  ancestors  were  wont  to 
take  hot  food  in  their  practised  fingers. 

The  facilities  for  boiling  food  and  making 
hot  drinks  form  one  of  the  advantages  almost 
peculiar  to  the  Fijian  as  contrasted  with  the 
other  islanders.     The  Fijians  also  have  the 


SOCIAL   HABITS.  129 

distinction  of  using  mosquito-curtains,  of 
separate  sleeping-rooms  for  the  young  men, 
and  a  better  style  of  houses. 

The  natives  usually  take  two  meals  in  the 
day ;  the  principal  one  being  in  the  after- 
noon or  evening.  Their  general  food  is  light 
and  plain,  fish  being  highly  esteemed.  Con- 
trary to  the  taste  of  civilized  gourmands, 
these  people  will  have  all  their  meat  quite 
fresh,  and  some  small  kinds  of  fish  are  eaten 
alive  as  a  relish.  They  have  also  dishes 
from  shell-fish,  soups,  various  kinds  of  bread, 
and  teas  made  from  grasses  and  leaves. 

The  refreshing  milk  of  the  cocoa-nut  is 
much  used  by  the  Fijian;  but  his  general 
beverage  is  water.  In  drinking  without  a 
cup,  the  head  is  thrown  back  with  the  mouth 
opened,  the  water-vessel  held  several  inches 
above  the  lips,  and  a  stream  allowed  to  run 
down  the  throat, — a  process  whereby  a  novice 
is  more  likely  to  be  choked  than  refreshed. 
This  method  of  drinking  is  adopted  to  avoid 
touching  the  vessel  with  their  lips,  a  prac- 
tice to  which  they  strongly  object.  To  drink 
from  the  long  bamboos  sometimes  used  ia 


130  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

no  easy  task.  These  vessels  are  from  two 
to  ten  feet  long.  One  of  the  longest  will 
hold  two  gallons ;  and  to  slake  one's  thirst 
from  its  open  end,  while  a  native  gradually 
elevates  the  other,  requires  care,  or  a  cold 
bath  will  be  the  unsought  result. 

The  meal  of  a  chief  only  differs  from  that 
of  a  common  man  in  that  the  food  is  of  better 
quality,  more  frequently  served,  and  received 
with  greater  form.  If  the  chief  is  not  tahu 
as  to  the  hands,  he  may  feed  himself  or  not, 
as  he  chooses ;  but  if  liga  tahu,  he  must  be 
fed  by  another,  generally  his  chief  wife. 
While  he  is  eating,  everybody  present  re- 
tains a  sitting  position, — the  attitude  of 
respect;  when  he  has  done,  he  pushes  the 
dish  a  little  way  from  him,  and  each  person 
claps  his  hands  several  times.  Water  is 
next  brought  to  the  chief,  who  washes  his 
hands  and  rinses  his  mouth,  after  which,  in 
some  parts,  hands  are  again  clapped  by  every 
one  in  the  house. 

A  favorite  Fijian  drink  is  the  ava,  or 
yaqona,  a  narcotic  and  stupefying  liquor, 
extracted  from  a  root.     On  the  island  of 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  131 

Somo-somo,  early  in  the  morning  tlie  king's 
herald  stands  in  front  of  the  royal  abode,  and 
shouts,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  '^  Yaqona !" 
Hereupon,  all  within  hearing  respond,  in  a 
sort  of  scream,  "  Mama  T'  —  ''Chew  it!" 
At  this  signal  the  chiefs,  priests,  and  leading 
men  gather  round  the  well-known  bowl,  and 
talk  over  public  affairs,  or  state  the  work 
assigned  for  the  day,  while  their  favorite 
draught  is  being  prepared.  When  the  young 
men  have  finished  the  chewing,  each  deposits 
his  portion,  in  the  form  of  a  round  dry  ball, 
in  the  bowl,  the  inside  of  which  thus  be- 
comes studded  over  with  a  large  number  of 
these  separate  little  masses.  The  man  who 
has  to  make  the  grog  takes  the  bowl  by  the 
edge  and  tilts  it  towards  the  king,  or,  in  his 
absence,  to  the  chief  appointed  to  preside. 
A  herald  calls  the  king's  attention  to  the 
slanting  bowl,  saying,  "Sir,  with  respects, 
the  yaqona  is  collected."  If  the  king  thinks 
it  enough,  he  replies,  in  a  low  tone,  ^' Loba/' 
"Wring  it;"  an  order  which  the  herald 
communicates  to  the  man  at  the  bowl  in  a 
louder  voice.     The  water  is  then  called  for. 


132  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

and  gradually  poured  in,  a  little  at  first, 
and  then  more,  until  the  bowl  is  full,  or  the 
master  of  the  ceremonies  says,  *'  Stop  !"  the 
operator  in  the  mean  time  gathering  up  and 
compressing  the  chewed  root.  Then  follows 
the  '^  science  of  the  process,"  which  consists 
of  the  final  rolling,  twisting,  and  compres- 
sion of  the  root,  and  straining  of  the  liquid 
until  it  is  clear  and  ready  for  drinking. 
This  preparation  of  the  yaqona  is  of  great 
interest  to  the  people,  hundreds  of  whom 
sometimes  closely  watch  the  operator,  who 
develops  much  skill  and  graceful  action. 

The  customs  observed  diff'er  on  the  various 
islands  in  some  particulars,  but  are  similar 
in  general  character. 

Very  few  Fijians  drink  to  excess.  The  in- 
temperate are  easily  distinguished  by  their 
inflamed  eyes  and  a  scaly  appearance  of  the 
skin.  By  one  or  two  ordinary  draughts  a 
stupor  is  produced,  from  which  the  drinker 
manifests  an  unwillingness  to  be  aroused. 

The  Fijians  hold  feasts,  for  which,  when 
on  a  large  scale,  preparations  commence 
months   beforehand.     Yams    and   taro  are 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  133 

planted  with  special  reference  to  it,  a  tahu 
is  put  upon  pigs  and  nuts,  and  the  turtle- 
fishers  are  sent  to  set  their  nets.  As  the 
time  approaches,  messengers  are  sent  far  and 
near  to  announce  the  day  appointed.  This 
announcement,  which  is  a  respectful  way  of 
inviting  the  guests,  is  made  to  the  several 
chiefs,  and  through  them  to  their  people. 
The  invitations  are  liberal,  including  all  the 
male  population  of  the  town  or  district  to 
which  the  Mata  is  sent. 

On  the  part  of  the  entertainers  there  is  a 
vigorous  effort  at  display.  A  day  or  two 
beforehand,  every  one  is  full  of  activity, — the 
king  issuing  orders,  the  Matas  communi- 
cating them  to  the  people,  and  the  people 
carrying  them  out.  The  ovens  are  prepared 
during  the  previous  night,  when  the  chop- 
ping of  fuel  and  squealing  of  pigs  is  heard 
in  every  direction,  while  the  flames  from  the 
ovens  yield  a  light  greatly  helping  the  labors 
of  the  cooks.  The  baking  of  all  kinds  of 
food,  and  the  making  of  all  kinds  of  pud- 
dings, are  intrusted  to  the  men.  The  ovens, 
which  are  holes  or  pits  sunk  in  the  ground, 

12 


134  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

are  sometimes  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  and 
fifty  feet  in  circumference ;  and  in  one  of 
these  several  pigs  and  turtles  and  a  large 
quantity  of  vegetables  can  be  cooked.  Eng- 
lish roasters  of  an  entire  ox  or  sheep  might 
learn  some  useful  philosophy  from  the  Fijian 
cook,  whose  method  insures  the  thorough 
and  equal  baking  of  the  whole  carcass.  The 
oven  is  filled  with  firewood,  on  which  large 
stones  are  placed,  and  the  fire  introduced. 
As  soon  as  the  fuel  is  burnt  out,  the  food  is 
placed  on  the  hot  stones,  some  of  which  are 
put  inside  the  animals  to  be  cooked  whole. 
A  thick  coat  of  leaves  is  now  rapidly  spread 
over  all,  and  on  these  a  layer  of  earth  about 
four  inches  thick.  When  the  steam  pene- 
trates this  covering,  it  is  time  to  remove 
the  food;  whereupon  the  lull  that  followed 
the  closing  of  the  oven  gives  place  to  re- 
newed activity,  as  the  men,  besides  having 
rested,  have  also  regaled  themselves  on  the 
hearts,  livers,  kidneys,  &c.  of  the  pigs  they 
have  killed,  and  which  tit-bits  they  ate  ex 
officio.  Thus  refreshed,  they  proceed  to 
plait  green  baskets,  beat  up  the  taro  paste 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  135 

with  ponderous  pestles,  prepare  the  large, 
beautiful  leaves  to  receive  the  paste  and 
sauce,  tie  them  up,  count,  report,  and  carry 
them  away  with  as  much  alacrity  as  though 
they  had  lost  sight  of  the  characteristic 
counsel  of  their  forefathers,  to  ^'go  gently, 
that  they  may  live  long." 

On  these  occasions  profusion  is  always 
aimed  at :  waste  is  the  consequence,  and  want 
follows.  At  one  public  feast  a  missionary  saw 
two  hundred  men  employed  nearly  six  hours 
in  collecting  and  piling  cooked  food.  There 
were  six  mounds  of  yams,  taro,  vakalolo, 
pigs,  and  turtles :  these  contained  about  fifty 
tons  of  cooked  yams  and  taro,  fifteen  tons 
of  sweet  pudding,  seventy  turtles,  five  cart- 
loads of  yaqona,  and  about  two  hundred 
tons  of  uncooked  yams.  One  pudding  at  a 
Lakemba  feast  measured  twenty-one  feet  in 
circumference. 

The  head-men  of  the  visitors  sit  to  receive 
the  food,  as  it  is  brought  and  piled  before 
them,  expressing  their  approval  by  saying, 
aloud,  ''Vinaka!  Vinakar  ''Good!  Good!" 
The  duty  of  distributing  the  food,  on  account 


.136  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

of  the  extreme  punctiliousness  of  the  people 
about  rank,  is  attended  with  considerable 
difficulty.  A  chief  is  honored  or  slighted 
according  to  the  quantity  or  quality  of  the 
food  set  before  him;  and  nothing  of  this 
kind  can  escape  notice,  as  every  eye  eagerly 
watches  the  proceedings.  When  there  are 
several  chiefs  in  the  party,  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  grade  of  each  is  necessary 
to  avoid  error.  The  food  having  been  di- 
vided into  as  many  portions  as  there  are 
tribes,  the  Tui-rara,  beginning  with  the 
first  in  rank,  shouts  out,  "  The  share  of  La- 
kemba !"  or  whichever  may  take  preference. 
If  a  foreigner  should  be  observed  among  the 
spectators,  he  is  sure  not  to  be  passed  by, 
but  a  portion — very  likely  enough  for  twenty 
men — will  be  given  to  him.  When  each 
tribe  has  received  its  share,  a  redivision 
takes  place,  answering  to  the  number  of  its 
towns ;  these,  again,  subdivide  it  among  the 
head  families,  who,  in  their  turn,  share  what 
they  get  with  their  dependants,  and  these 
with  the  individual  members  of  their  house- 
hold, until   10  one  is  left  without  a  portion, 


SOCIAL   HABITS.  137 

the  food  disappearing  forthwith,  with  a 
rapidity  which  baffles  calculation.  The 
males  eat  in  the  open  air,  sending  the 
women's  share  to  their  houses.  Should 
some  wayfarer  pass  by,  he  is  pressingly  in- 
vited to  partake  of  the  entertainment,  and 
allowed  to  dip  in  the  same  dish  with  those 
who  bid  him. 

Indeed,  while  witnessing  such  a  scene,  it 
is  only  by  an  effort  of  the  mind  that  one 
can  believe  that  a  people  so  blithe  and 
benevolent  are  capable  of  the  atrocities  with 
which  they  are  charged.  But  beneath  all 
that  apparent  pleasantness  and  repose  there 
lurk  strong  elements  of  disquiet.  A  mis- 
arrangement  or  impropriety  would  cause  a 
hundred  bright  eyes  to  flash  with  anger, 
which,  though  suppressed  then,  would  burst 
forth  with  a  deadlier  effect  on  a  future 
day. 

Among  the  Fijians  the  rules  of  politeness 
are  minute  and  receive  scrupulous  atten- 
tion. They  affect  the  language,  and  are 
seen  in  forms  of  salutation,  in  attention  to 
strangers  at  meals,  and  in  dress.     In  salut- 

12» 


138  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

ing  a  chief,  a  shout  of  reverence,  called  the 
tama,  is  used,  except  in  a  few  cases.  Equals, 
on  meeting  each  other  early  in  the  day,  say, 
^'/Sayadra,"  ''Awake,"  or, ''  You  are  awake;" 
in  the  evening,  "  Samoce,"  or,  "Ldki  771006," 
''Sleep,"  or,  "Go  to  sleep." 

On  a  visit  of  a  person  from  a  distance,  as 
soon  as  he  is  seated,  the  master  of  the  house 
gently  claps  his  hands  three  or  four  times, 
and  says,  very  much  in  Eastern  style,  "  Come 
with  peace !"  The  name  of  the  place  whence 
the  visitor  has  come  is  generally  added,  or 
the  name  of  the  house,  should  he  reside  in 
the  same  town.  Thus,  the  wife  of  the  king 
of  Somo-somo  would  be  welcomed  with, 
"Come  with  peace,  the  lady  from  Nasima." 
The  parting  kiss  of  the  Fijians  is  peculiar, 
one  smelling  the  other  with  a  strong  sniff. 
Equals  do  this  on  each  other's  faces.  A 
chief  of  lower  grade  will  thus  salute  a  su- 
perior's hand,  and  inferiors  will  embrace 
the  knees  and  smell  the  feet  of  a  chief. 
Shaking  hands  has  been  introduced  by  the 
missionaries,  and  is  in  high  repute.  ^^  Sa 
loloma/'  "  My  love  to  you,"  owes  its  origin 


SOCIAL   HABITS.  139 

to  the  same  source,  and  is  used  by  all  the 
Christians. 

The  existence  of  expressions  equivalent 
to  our  ''Mr./'  ''Sir,"  and  "Madam"  does 
much  towards  poUshing  the  intercourse  of 
this  people ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  they 
only  of  the  island  groups  in  the  South  Seas 
have  these  terms  in  regular  use. 

Sleep  and  tobacco  are  among  the  leading 
comforts  of  the  Fijian.  He  follows  activity 
with  slumber  from  which  he  hates  to  be 
aroused.  Tobacco,  though  known  only  for 
about  thirty  years,  is  in  such  high  favor 
that  its  use  is  ail-but  universal,  children  as 
well  as  adults  indulging  in  it  freely.  The 
native  method  of  smoking  is  decidedly  social. 
A  small  cigarette,  formed  by  folding  leaf- 
tobacco  in  a  strip  of  dead  banana-leaf,  is  lit, 
and  passed  to  four  or  six  persons  in  succes- 
sion. Having  to  swim  across  a  river  does 
not  interrupt  this  transfer;  for  the  same 
cigar  may  be  conveyed  from  one  bank  to 
the  other  in  several  different  mouths. 

Sports  of  different  kinds  occupy  many  of 
the  leisure  hours  of  the  people.     A  favorite 


140  THE   CANNIBA^   ISLANDS. 

one  among  the  girls  consists  in  keeping 
eight  oranges  in  the  air  above  the  head  at 
one  time.  Games  closely  resembling  ''hide- 
and-seek,"  ''blind-man's  buff,"  and  "hop, 
skip,  and  jump,"  as  played  by  American 
children,  are  common  among  these  dark 
Fijian  youths. 

Some  of  the  games  played  by  the  boys 
are  of  a  cruel  character.  One  of  the  chiefs 
told  an  Englishwoman  that  one  of  his  favor- 
ite games,  when  a  boy,  was  to  fix  a  sharply- 
pointed  stick  in  the  ground,  and  then  jump 
in  such  a  way  that  the  companion  whom  he 
had  dared  to  follow  him  would  run  it  in  his 
foot.  It  is  not  strange  that  boys  accustomed 
to  such  pastimes  should  not  shrink  from 
cruelty  when  they  grow  to  manhood. 

A  swing,  consisting  of  a  single  rope  or 
strong  vine,  with  a  loop  at  the  end  in  which 
to  insert  the  foot,  is  fastened  to  a  tree.  The 
swinger  is  then  pushed  off,  and  away  he 
goes  as  far  as  his  rope  of  thirty  or  fifty  feet 
will  send  him. 

Men  and  women  wrestle  on  top  of  a  hill : 
if  either  is  thrown,  they  roll  down  together, 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  141 

much  to  the  delight  of  the  spectators,  and  oc- 
casional mortification  of  one  who  maybe  hurt. 

Several  amusements  belong  to  the  water, 
such  as  chasing  each  other,  wrestling,  and 
diving.  Shoals  of  men  or  of  women  are 
seen,  on  a  calm  day,  striking  away  from  the 
shore  with  gleeful  notes,  or  that  hearty 
abandonment  of  broad -mouthed  mirth  for 
which  they  are  so  famous.  In  the  game  of 
ririka,  an  upright  post  is  fixed  at  the  edge 
of  a  reef,  and  the  upper  end  of  a  long  cocoa- 
nut-tree  rested  on  it,  so  as  to  form  an  easy 
ascent,  with  the  point  projecting  beyond  the 
post  and  raised  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  natives 
ran  up  this  incline  in  a  continuous  single 
file,  and  their  rapidly  succeeding  plunges 
keep  the  water  all  round  white  with  foam. 
Youngsters  use  the  surf-boards  which  are 
so  often  found  in  Polynesia. 

Canoe-racing  is  also  a  favorite  Fijian 
amusement.  They  are  fond  of  their  rude 
and  monotonous  music,  but  seem  to  be  insen- 
sible to  the  harmony  of  flutes  and  melodious 
instruments. 


142  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

Their  musical  instruments  are  the  conch- 
shell,  which  is  blown,  pan  dean  pipes,  in 
which  reeds  of  different  lengths  are  ranged 
together,  jews'-harps,  made  of  bamboo  strips, 
and  the  nose-flute,  played  by  air  from  the 
nostril.  They  have  also  drums,  large  and 
small,  made  of  a  log  hollowed  like  a  trough, 
with  cross-pieces  near  the  ends.  The  long 
stick,  in  the  illustration,  is  that  used  in  the 
dance. 

But  the  chief  amusement  of  the  people  is 
the  dance.  The  king  of  Levuka  had  a  grand 
*'  club  dance"  for  Captain  Wilkes's  entertain- 
ment ;  and  the  description  of  one  serves  for 
most  of  this  class  of  their  performances. 
For  several  days  beforehand  great  prepara- 
tions were  made,  and  all  the  chiefs  and 
people  subject  to  this  king  were  called  to 
assist.  On  the  appointed  day  the  visitors 
were  escorted  to  the  hure,  or  temple,  and 
placed  on  the  platform,  having  a  clear  view 
of  the  square  in  front.  This  was  enclosed  by 
a  stone  wall,  and  filled  with  numerous  spec- 
tators. About  a  hundred  boys  and  men — 
the  musicians — sat  on  one  side,  while  an  open 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  143 

space  was  left  in  the  centre  for  the  dancers. 
Suddenly  shouts  of  laughter  greeted  the 
waiting  assembly,  as  a  clown  appeared 
dressed  in  vines  and  leaves,  with  only  his 
hands  and  feet  uncovered.  He  wore  a  large 
mask  like  a  bear's  head,  painted  black  on 
one  side  and  orange  on  the  other.  He  car- 
ried two  clubs,  a  long  and  a  short  one ;  and 
his  grotesque  movements  were  greeted  with 
loud  applause.  The  musicians  struck  up  a 
monotonous  tune,  singing  and  playing  in 
excellent  time.  The  dancers,  in  gala  dress, 
and  about  a  hundred  in  number,  now  issued, 
two  by  two,  from  behind  a  large  rock. 
Around  their  white  turbans  the  chiefs  wore 
tasteful  wreaths  of  flowers  and  leaves.  The 
motions  of  the  dancers  were  at  first  slow 
and  measured,  the  principal  action  consist- 
ing in  changing  the  position  of  their  clubs. 
At  the  end  of  each  strain  of  music  they 
simultaneously  advanced  three  steps,  bowing 
gracefully  to  their  visitors.  When  they  had 
all  entered  the  square,  they  became  more 
violent  ;n  their  movements,  and  went  rapidly 
around,  jumping    and    tramping    heavily, 


144  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

while   the   clown   comically  mimicked   the 
chiefs  and  prominent  dancers. 

When  the  dance  was  over,  the  performers 
piled  their  clubs  before  the  visitors  as  a 
present.  Captain  Wilkes  was  not  a  little 
amused  to  see  that  many  of  them  had  sub- 
stituted less  valuable  ones  for  those  used  in 
the  dance.  Of  course  they  expected  presents 
in  return,  which  were  given  them. 

The  telling  of  stories,  often  of  a  very  ex- 
travagant nature,  is  a  favorite  amusement 
with  the  Fijians.  "  Come,  tell  us  a  far-away 
tale,"  said  a  king  to  one  of  his  attendants 
who  had  been  to  Australia.  So  he  began 
and  told  him  of  guns  he  saw  in  Sydney, 
each  of  which  took  a  keg  of  powder  to 
prime;  of  a  thousand  saw-mills  working 
in  a  river  with  no  one  near  them,  and  mak- 
ing such  a  quantity  of  saw-dust  that  when 
he  was  four  days'  journey  from  them  he 
was  obliged  to  veil  his  eyes  to  keep  it  from 
blinding  him.  He  wound  up  by  saying 
*'You  talk  about  long  houses  in  Fiji;  but 
you  should  see  the  barracks  where  the  sol- 
diers in  Sydney  dwell.    I  was  foolish  enough 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  145 

to  begin  to  fathom  off  with  my  arms,  so  as 
to  measure  it  as  we  measure  tapa;  but  after 
three  months'  fatigue  I  had  to  give  it  up  as 
useless,  because  I  could  not  see  that  I  was 
any  nearer  the  end  than  when  I  began." 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  tales  with  which 
they  divert  themselves  for  hours.  Ventrilo- 
quists are  common  among  them,  and  some 
few  of  the  people  possess  skill  in  sleight-of- 
hand  tricks. 

The  term  tabu,  tapu^  tamhu,  or  tahoOj 
is  familiar  to  the  civilized  world,  and  indi- 
cates precisely  the  same  principle  in  every 
part  of  the  South  Seas.  The  force  of  the 
word  can  be  fully  realized  only  by  a  Poly- 
nesian. In  Fiji  it  represents  an  institution 
despotic  and  merciless  in  operation,  and  to 
the  enforcement  of  it  the  people  yield  with- 
out the  slightest  symptom  of  rebellion. 

To  tabu  any  thing  is  to  effectually  prevent 
its  being  touched  or  used  until  the  tabu  is 
removed.  Nothing  is  too  great  or  too  small 
to  be  affected  by  it.  Here  it  is  seen  tending 
a  brood  of  chickens,  and  there  it  directs  the 
energies  of   a   kingdom.     Its   influence   is 

13 


146  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

wondrously  diffused.  Coasts,  lands,  rivers, 
and  seas,  animals,  fish,  fruit,  and  vege- 
tables, houses,  beds,  pots,  cups,  and  dishes, 
canoes,  with  all  belonging  to  them  and  their 
management,  dress,  ornaments,  and  arms, 
things  to  eat  and  things  to  drink,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  body,  manners  and  customs, 
language,  names,  temples,  and  even  the  gods 
also,  all  come  under  the  influence  of  the 
tahu.  It  is  put  into  operation  by  religious, 
political,  or  selfish  motives;  and  idleness 
lounges  for  months  beneath  its  sanction. 
Many  are  thus  forbidden  to  raise  or  extend 
their  hands  in  any  useful  employment  for  a 
long  time.  In  this  district  it  is  tahu  to 
build  canoes;  on  that  island  it  is  tahu  to 
erect  good  houses.  When  cocoa-nuts  are  to 
be  tabued  in  any  district,  a  mound  of  earth 
is  thrown  up  by  the  road-side,  a  fence  of 
reeds  encircles  it,  and  upon  a  post  woven 
with  the  cocoa-nut  tree  leaf  are  hung  cocoa- 
nuts  covered  with  turmeric  powder.  This 
is  illustrated  in  our  engraving.  Until  the 
prohibition  is  removed,  no  nuts  can  be  gath- 
ered in  that  district.    Thus  are  men  fettered 


SOCIAL    HABITS.  147 

and  oppressed  by  heathenism  in  a  thousand 
ways.  The  gospel  brings  not  only  hope  for 
eternity,  but  liberty  for  this  life. 

The  system  is  greatly  favored  by  the  chiefs, 
for  by  it  they  gain  influence,  supply  their 
wants,  and  command  at  will  their  subjects. 

A  young  boy  once  obtained  leave  from  his 
father,  the  chief,  to  tahu  all  food  then  in 
the  gardens,  so  that,  while  the  prohibition 
lasted,  no  one  could  use  even  his  own  pro- 
duce without  first  going  to  the  young  prince 
to  ask  permission.  If  any  one  dared  to  omit 
this  ceremony,  the  prince,  with  his  retinue 
of  boys,  was  soon  seen  running  towards  the 
ofi'ender's  house,  carrying  flags,  blowing 
trumpets,  &c.  Each  of  the  boys  would 
snatch  up  any  article  he  could  lay  his  hands 
on,  and  then  they  all  ran  off  again  as  swiftly 
and  noisily  as  they  came. 

Persons  who  are  afraid  their  property  will 
be  stolen  endeavor  to  place  it  under  a  tabu. 

In  times  of  scarcity  it  is  common  to  tahu 
certain  articles  to  prevent  famine  by  their 
injudicious  use.  The  missionaries  once  felt 
the  rigor  of  this  act  severely.    Their  supplies 


148  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

being  delayed,  and  the  pork  and  various 
other  kinds  of  food  tabued,  they  were  sub- 
ject for  months  to  great  inconvenience. 


CHAPTER  XL 

OCCUPATIONS. 


The  Fijians  have  not  the  indolent  habits 
common  to  most  tropical  nations.  The 
Fijian  is  almost  always  busily  employed : 
when  not  at  war,  he  is  boating,  fishing,  build- 
ing, weaving  nets,  rolling  sinnet,  moulding 
earthen-ware,  carving  clubs  and  spears, 
planting,  gathering,  or  in  some  way  fully 
occupying  his  time. 

The  union  of  savage  wildness  with  care- 
ful attention  to  agriculture  is  remarkable  in 
the  character  of  the  Fijians;  and  it  has  been 
observed  by  visitors  that  they  cultivate  many 
kinds  of  produce  unknown  to  the  other 
Pacific  islands. 

Of  yams  (a  root  resembling  the  potato) 


OCCUPATIONS.  149 

there  are  in  Fiji  the  usual  varieties,  and  in 
some  parts  of  the  group  two  crops  are  raised 
in  the  year.  Ordinary  tubers  of  this  valu- 
able plant  weigh  from  six  to  twelve  pounds  ; 
extraordinary  ones  grow  six  or  even  nine 
feet  long,  and  weigh  from  thirty  to  one  hun- 
dred pounds.  Sweet  potatoes  and  sugar- 
cane are  also  cultivated.  But  the  chief  staple 
among  the  Fijians  is  the  taro,  which  forms 
the  substitute  for  bread,  and  is  much  used 
in  their  cookery.  The  leaves  and  roots  of 
the  plant  are  eaten ;  and  even  the  petiole,  or 
foot-stalk,  is  used  like  our  asparagus. 

The  taro  root  is  oval  in  shape,  and  weighs 
from  one  to  twelve  pounds.  It  requires 
skilful  cultivation;  and  the  oblong  taro  beds 
terracing  the  hill-sides  form  a  peculiar  and 
beautiful  feature  in  the  scenery. 

The  well-known  banana-tree  is  of  great 
importance  to  the  natives.  There  are  in 
these  islands  thirty  varieties  of  this  tree, 
all  differing  in  form  and  size  of  fruit.  The 
bananas  are  used  in  a  variety  of  modes  of 
cooking,  and  of  the  young  leaf  water-proof 
covers  for  the  head  are  made. 


13* 


150  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

The  yaqona,  of  which  they  make  the  cava 
or  ava,  their  favorite  narcotic  drink,  is  an 
object  of  great  attention  in  some  parts  of 
these  islands. 

The  bread-fruit  tree  and  the  paper-mul- 
berry are  also  of  much  importance,  the  latter 
supplying  the  natives  with  the  principal 
material  of  their  dress. 

The  preparation  of  the  bark  of  this  tree, 
and  its  manufacture  into  Tnasi  for  clothing, 
forms  the  principal  occupation  of  the  women, 
and  consists  in  the  following  process. 

The  bark  is  carefully  stripped  off  in 
pieces  as  long  as  possible.  Then  it  is 
steeped  in  water  till  it  is  pliable  and  the 
rough  exterior  can  be  removed  by  scraping 
with  a  shell.  Two  thicknesses  together  are 
then  laid  on  a  log,  and  so  beaten  with  a 
wooden  mallet  that  a  breadth  of  two  inches 
can  be  spread  into  a  foot  and  a  half.  Several 
pieces  are  lapped  together  with  taro  starch 
or  arrow-root  till  the  cloth  is  sujfficiently 
long,  sometimes  measuring  a  hundred  or 
more  yards.  The  width  can  be  increased 
by  joining  in  the  same  way.     The  artistic 


OCCUPATIONS.  151 

part  of  the  manufacture  is  in  the  process  of 
dyeing;  and  in  this  the  women  often  exhibit 
much  taste.  The  borders  of  mosquito-cur- 
tains are  very  elaborately  ornamented,  and 
are  the  especial  pride  of  the  Fijian  lady. 
For  these  she  uses  a  flat  board,  a  black  dye, 
and  a  pattern  cut  out  of  a  banana-leaf.  She 
places  the  pattern  on  the  border,  and  with 
a  pad  of  cloth  steeped  in  the  black  dye  she 
rubs  the  leaf  over,  and  the  dye  remains  in 
the  figure  upon  the  border. 

The  turban  of  the  men  is  made  of  a  fine 
preparation  of  the  rnasi,  beaten  out  till  it  is 
gauze-like  in  texture.  The  liku,  or  women's 
dress,  is  braided  of  the  fibres  of  a  wild 
root,  grasses,  or  the  bark  of  the  hibiscus, 
beaten  out  and  made  into  a  broad  variegated 
band.  From  this  hangs  a  red  or  black 
fringe  of  from  three  to  ten  inches  in  depth. 

E'ext  in  importance  to  the  manufacture 
of  cloth  is  that  of  mats.  The  number  de- 
manded of  these  articles  is  very  great,  as 
they  are  used  for  chairs,  carpets,  tables, 
sails,  beds,  and  curtains.  Wrapped  in  mats 
also  the  Fijians  are  buried. 


152  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

"  The  wicker-work  baskets  of  Fiji  are 
strong,  handsome,  and  useful  beyond  any  I 
have  seen  at  home  or  abroad,"  says  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Lowry ;  and  when  we  consider  the  per- 
fection to  which  the  English  have  brought 
the  art  of  basket- making,  this  commendation 
of  the  Fijian  work  is  certainly  as  high  praise 
as  he  could  well  bestow. 

The  making  of  nets  gives  constant  em- 
ployment to  many  of  these  islanders.  The 
process  is  the  same  as  that  employed  for  the 
same  purpose  in  England.  The  nets  used 
by  the  men  are  sometimes  made  of  hibiscus, 
but  generally  of  sinnet,  which  is  the  fibre 
of  the  cocoa-nut  husk,  well  dried,  combed, 
and  braided.  The  natives  roll  it  into  balls, 
which  are  often  very  large.  Mr.  Williams 
mentions  one  that  he  measured,  which  was 
nine  feet  high  and  thirteen  feet  in  circum- 
ference. The  Fijians  use  sinnet  for  their 
best  ropes,  which  are  of  various  size  and 
exceedingly  strong. 

The  Fijian  is  also  distinguished  from  all 
the  South  Sea  islanders  eastward  in  his  pot- 
teries, where  are  produced  various  utensils 


OCCUPATIONS.  153 

of  red  and  brown  ware.  The  drinking-ves- 
sels  are  often  prettily  designed,  some  being 
globular,  some  urn-shaped,  others  like  three 
or  four  oranges  joined  together,  the  handle 
springing  from  each  and  meeting  at  the 
top;  others,  again,  are  made  in  the  forms 
of  canoes.  Earthen  arrow-root  pans,  dye- 
bowls,  and  fish-pots  are  in  great  demand. 
The  greatest  call,  however,  is  for  cooking- 
pots.  Several  of  these  are  found  in  every 
house ;  and,  as  they  are  not  very  durable, 
the  demand  is  brisk.  The  mode  of  manufac- 
ture is  simple,  and  the  articles  are  of  good 
shape,  well  baked,  and  often  glazed. 

The  dishes  for  the  priests,  oil-dishes,  and 
yaqona-bowls,  as  well  as  the  cannibal  forks, 
are  generally  made  of  hard  wood,  often 
curiously  formed,  and  ornamented  with 
carving. 

The  weapons  of  Fijian  war  are  many  of 
them  simple  in  their  construction,  while 
others  evince  much  artistic  skill  in  carving 
and  inlaid  work.  The  simple  throwing  clubs 
are  furnished  by  the  forest,  and  require  but 
little  handiwork  to  perfect  them.     Others 


154  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

are  shaped  on  the  tree  while  growing,  and 
require  constant  superintendence  till  they  are 
formed.  A  knotty  mace  is  made  by  pulling 
up  a  young  tree  and  cutting  off  the  roots. 

Their  tools,  until  lately,  were  few  and 
simple.  The  one  principally  used,  with 
slight  alterations  to  suit  different  purposes, 
was  a  hard  stone  ground  to  an  edge  and 
firmly  tied  to  a  wooden  handle.  Rats'  teeth 
Avere  used  for  fine  carving,  corals  for  files, 
and  the  pumice-stone  for  finishing  off  their 
work.  Their  first  iron  implements  were 
procured  from  the  Tongans,  who  had  esta- 
blished commerce  with  Europeans  some  time 
before.  The  first  knowledge  they  had  of 
steel  was  from  half  of  a  ship-carpenter's 
draw-knife  which  had  been  broken  off  and 
ground  down.  This  was  highly  prized  and  in 
great  demand,  and  named  Fulifuli,  in  honor 
of  the  chief  who  introduced  it.  Now,  how- 
ever, they  are  supplied  from  England  and 
America  with  common  tools;  but  the  climate 
is  injurious  to  more  delicate  instruments. 

To  illustrate  the  speed  with  which  a 
Fijian  builds  his  house,  Mr.  Williams  says 


OCCUPATIONS.  155 

that  going  out  one  morning  he  passed  a 
company  of  carpenters  who  were  just  put- 
ting up  the  posts  of  a  house.  When  he 
returned,  an  hour  and  a  half  later,  he  found 
the  building  nearly  completed  ! 

Ordinarily,  to  finish  entirely  a  thatched 
house  requires  about  ten  days.  A  large 
house  for  a  chief's  dwelling,  or  a  temple,  is 
completed  in  two  or  three  months.  Some 
of  their  buildings  are  very  handsome.  A 
visitor,  speaking  of  the  dwelling  of  King 
Tanoa,  of  Mbau,  says,  "  It  surpasses  in 
magnitude  and  grandeur  any  thing  I  have 
seen  in  these  seas.  It  is  one  hundred  and 
thirty  feet  long,  forty-two  feet  wide,  with 
massive  columns  in  the  centre,  and  strong, 
curious  workmanship  in  every  part." 

The  shape  of  the  houses  differs  very  much 
on  the  various  islands.  In  one  district,  a 
village  looks  like  an  assemblage  of  square 
wicker  baskets ;  in  another,  like  so  many 
rustic  arbors ;  a  third  seems  a  collection  of 
oblong  hay-ricks,  with  holes  in  the  sides ; 
while  in  a  fourth  these  ricks  are  conical. 

Timber  made  from  several  different  trees 


156  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

is  used  for  building-material,  and  grass, 
sugar-cane,  or  palm-leaves  for  thatching. 
The  ridge-pole  always  projects  beyond  the 
eaves,  and  is  ornamented  with  shells.  The 
door-ways  are  so  low  that  one  is  obliged  to 
stoop  in  entering.  In  front  of  the  entrance 
hangs  a  mat  to  serve  as  a  door.  The  in- 
terior walls  are  ornamented  with  sinnet  or 
grasses  in  different  colors  or  patterns.  A 
good  artist  in  this  work  finds  constant  em- 
ployment, and  succeeds  in  producing  a  beau- 
tiful effect.  The  rooms  are  rarely  parti- 
tioned ;  but  at  each  end  the  floor  is  slightly 
elevated  above  the  centre,  to  serve  for  sleep- 
ing-purposes, and  is  covered  with  soft  mats 
and  dotted  with  the  little  three-legged  pil- 
lows. The  fireplaces  are  in  the  centre  of 
the  room,  and  are  exceedingly  primitive  in 
their  construction,  consisting  of  holes,  sur- 
rounded by  a  hard  curb  of  wood,  and  contain- 
ing a  few  large  stones,  on  which  they  build 
the  fire  and  place  the  pots.  A  few  fine  houses 
have  a  shelf  on  which  the  pots  are  placed. 

When  a  man  wishes  a  house  built,  his 
application   must  be   made  to  the   proper 


OCCUPATIONS.  157 

officers,  and  the  chief  of  the  carpenters  is 
then  directed  to  build  one  according  to  his 
wishes.  He  employs  as  many  men  as  he 
thinks  proper. 

A  more  animated  scene  than  the  thatch- 
ing of  a  house  in  Fiji  cannot  be  conceived. 
When  a  sufficient  quantity  of  material  has 
been  collected  round  the  house,  the  roof  of 
which  has  been  previously  covered  with  a 
net-work  of  reeds,  from  forty  to  three  hun- 
dred men  and  boys  assemble,  each  being 
satisfied  that  he  is  expected  to  do  some 
work,  and  each  determined  to  be  very  noisy 
in  doing  it.  The  workers  within  pair  with 
those  outside,  each  tying  what  another  lays 
on.  When  all  have  taken  their  places,  and 
are  getting  warm,  the  calls  for  grass,  rods, 
and  lashings,  and  the  answers,  all  coming 
from  two  or  three  hundred  excited  voices 
of  all  keys,  intermixed  with  stamping  down 
the  thatch,  and  shrill  cries  of  exultation  from 
every  quarter,  make  a  miniature  Babel,  in 
which  the  Fijian — a  notorious  proficient  in 
nearly  every  variety  of  halloo,  whoop,  and 
yell — fairly  outdoes  himself. 

14 


158  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

In  putting  down  the  posts  of  a  house  of 
any  importance,  it  is  common  to  bury  a  man 
with  each  one.  He  clasps  it  with  his  arms, 
and  is  supposed,  in  consideration  of  his  sacri- 
fice, to  have  power  given  him  by  the  gods 
to  hold  it  up. 

The  Fijian  canoes  were  for  a  long  time 
much  better  built  than  those  of  many  of 
their  neighbors. 

A  Tongan  chief,  visiting  Fiji,  was  so  con- 
vinced of  the  superiority  of  their  canoes 
over  those  of  his  own  people  that  he  left 
his  clumsy  craft  behind  him  and  returned 
in  one  of  Fijian  build.  When  his  people 
saw  his  new  vessel,  they  abandoned  their 
own  style  and  built  after  the  Fijian  mould, 
and  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  they 
have  never  deviated  from  the  pattern  then 
adopted. 

These  boats  are  generally  double,  the  two 
parts  united  by  a  platform,  which  extends 
two  or  three  feet  beyond  the  sides  of  the 
canoes.  The  sail,  made  of  pliable  mats, 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  long,  appears  out  of 
all  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  vessel.    The 


OCCUPATIONS.  159 

management  of  this  is  generally  given  to 
the  chief;  and  it  often  requires  care  and 
skill  to  prevent  the  top-heavy  craft  from 
being  upset.  The  ordinary  vessels  hold 
forty  or  fifty  men,  and  are  built,  like  the 
houses,  by  a  contract  with  the  chief  of  car- 
penters. Sailors  are  found  on  all  the  islands, 
but  they  especially  abound  in  the  Mbutoni 
and  the  Levuka  tribes.  They  occupy  a  low 
rank  in  the  community,  but  are  skilful  in 
nautical  affairs,  even  the  women  possessing 
sufficient  knowledge  of  them  to  perform  the 
ordinary  duties  of  seamen.  The  heathen 
sailor's  life  is  a  very  merry  one.  The  crew 
seem  less  like  hirelings,  with  certain  dutiep 
to  perform,  than  like  a  gay  party  of  pleasure- 
seekers.  Jesting,  laughing,  singing,  beating 
of  drums,  loud  cries  of  thanks  to  favorable 
winds,  and  prayers  to  adverse  ones,  are  con- 
tinually heard ;  and  thus  they  bound  over 
the  ocean,  often  turning  from  their  pre- 
scribed route  to  fish  or  catch  turtles,  with 
entire  forgetfulness  of  their  main  object. 

This  leads  us  to  one  of  the  Fijian's  prin- 
cipal occupations, — viz.,  fishing.    Turtle-fish- 


160  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

ing  is  an  important  and  lucrative  branch  of 
this  pursuit. 

There  are  in  the  islands  several  different 
ways  of  catching  turtles,  all  of  them  in- 
volving more  or  less  danger.  One  of  these 
is  to  attach  floats  to  a  large  net  of  strong 
sinnet,  and  carry  it  on  a  canoe  into  deep 
water  outside  of  the  reef.  The  ends  are 
brought  back  to  the  reef,  making  a  semi- 
circular fence,  which  intercepts  the  turtle  as 
he  comes  back  from  feeding.  If  he  should 
turn  and  swim  away  from  the  net,  he  is 
frightened  back  by  the  loud  shouting  and 
stamping  of  the  fishermen.  After  he  is  en- 
tangled, his  capture  is  comparatively  easy. 
In  some  methods  of  turtle-fishing  the  con- 
test in  the  water  with  a  strong  and  frantic 
fish  is  desperate,  and  the  divers  need  all  the 
agility  and  strength  they  possess  to  capture 
him. 

The  payment  of  the  fishermen  is  regulated 
by  their  success.  Turtle-fishers  are  gene- 
rally attached  to  the  household  of  a  chief, 
acting  under  his  orders,  and  rewarded  by 
hira. 


OCCUPATIONS.  161 

Sometimes  three  or  four  turtles  may  be 
taken  in  a  day ;  but  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
is  thought  good  success  for  a  season,  which 
lasts  from  December  to  May.  Of  so  much 
importance  is  this  trade,  that  the  white  resi- 
dents make  strong  efforts  to  monopolize  it. 

Biche-de-mar,  or  the  sea-slug,  a  small  fish 
caught  on  the  reefs,  is  a  valuable  article  of 
commerce,  about  thirty  thousand  dollars' 
worth  being  annually  obtained,  chiefly  from 
Vanua  Levu  and  Viti  Levu.  A  chief  and 
his  men  are  generally  employed  by  traders 
to  obtain  this  fish. 

Captain  Wilkes  speaks  of  a  season's  fish- 
ing while  he  was  there,  which  yielded  the 
trader  twenty -five  thousand  pounds  sterling, 
and  had  required  a  very  small  outlay.  The 
fish  have  to  be  cured,  for  which  purposes 
houses  are  built  and  constant  labor  expended. 

The  commerce  of  the  Fiji  Islands  is  not 
large.  It  began  with  Europeans  about  1806, 
in  an  exchange  of  sandal-wood  for  various 
trifling  articles.  The  supply  of  this  wood 
has  now  almost  entirely  failed,  the  trees 
having  nearly  died  out,  and  no  pains  being 

14* 


162  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

taken  to  renew  them.  Tortoise-shell  and 
biche-de-mar  are  now  the  principal  items 
of  export  trade,  mostly  carried  on  by  Ame- 
ricans from  Salem.  The  Fijian  commerce 
consists  mainly  in  barter,  requiring  a  large 
supply  of  suitable  goods  in  the  hands  of 
traders  with  them.  Their  chiefs  are  dis- 
pleased with  the  payment  of  money,  greatly 
-preferring  articles  which  are  of  immediate 
value  to  them,  instead  of  useless  foreign  coin. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RELIGION. 


A  CONSPICUOUS  building  in  every  Fijian 
village  is  the  htcre,  or  temple.  It  is  raised 
upon  a  foundation  of  from  three  to  twenty 
feet  above  the  ground.  The  ascent  to  it  is 
by  a  plank,  with  steps  cut  on  the  upper 
side.  The  interior  of  the  hure  exhibits  the 
highest  skill  of  the  Fijian  in  decoration  and 
finish.     Every  timber  is  covered  with  the 


l^y  fj^^^;;   ,#^>34 


%  i- 


RELIGION.  163 

most  elaborate  patterns  in  red  and  black 
sinnet,  while  the  rafters,  posts,  walls,  win- 
dow-sashes, and  door-frames  are  ornamented 
with  the  same  material,  which  also  hangs  in 
heavy  cords  from  the  eaves.  A  variety  of 
articles,  such  as  hand-clubs,  turbans,  neck- 
laces of  flowers,  &c.,  received  as  votive  offer- 
ings, or  by  the  priests  as  doctor's  fees,  adorn 
the  room.  A  curtain  of  white  masi  hangs 
from  the  roof  to  the  floor,  and  is  the  sacred 
path  by  which  the  god  descends  to  inspire 
the  priest. 

In  some  of  the  temples  small  images  are 
seen,  used  merely  as  ornaments,  not  as  objects 
of  worship ;  and  at  Mbau  parts  of  the  bodies 
of  enemies  are  hung  around  the  temple. 

Although  so  much  trouble  and  expense  are 
given  to  building  the  bure,  it  is  afterwards 
much  neglected.  Being  rarely  used  for  pur- 
poses of  worship,  it  is  principally  occupied 
as  a  council-chamber  and  sleeping-place  for 
distinguished  persons  in  the  village.  When  a 
king  wishes  to  propitiate  a  god,  he  frequently 
repairs  or  erects  a  bure,  but  when  the  imme- 
diate occasion  is  past  it  falls  into  ruin  again. 


164  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

The  priests  possess  great  influence,  al- 
though their  power  has  for  some  time  rapidly 
decreased.  The  only  access  the  people  have 
to  their  gods  is  through  them ;  and,  as  the 
chiefs  and  priests  are  generally  in  league 
together,  the  decree  of  a  god  is  pretty  cer- 
tain to  be  one  that  will  suit  the  chiefs. 

The  rank  of  a  priest  is  determined  by  that 
of  his  god.  The  office  is  mainly  hereditary ; 
but  any  man  who  has  sufficient  ability  to  in- 
spire the  people  with  a  conviction  of  his 
power  may  become  a  successful  priest. 

"I  knew  a  young  man  at  Somo-somo,'* 
says  Mr.  Williams,  "  who  paid  dearly  for  a 
trick  of  this  kind.  He  was  hungry  one  day, 
and  sat  down  a  few  paces  from  my  garden- 
fence,  and  began  to  shake,  priest-fashion,  and 
call  for  bananas.  Of  course  it  was  the  god 
who  wanted  bananas,  and  bananas  were  im- 
mediately given  him.  This,  you  see,  was  an 
easier  way  of  obtaining  them  than  going  to 
plant  them. 

''Well,  he  went  on  for  some  months,  per- 
haps twelve,  and  fully  established  his  repu- 
tation as  a  priest,  and  began  to  think  him- 


RELIGION.  165 

self  somebody,  and  to  wear  a  long  train 
behind  him,  as  the  priests  do. 

''  Tuikilakila,  being  annoyed  at  his  assum- 
ing so  much,  and  being,  I  suppose,  rather 
doubtful  as  to  the  validity  of  his  priesthood, 
sent  for  him  one  day  to  go  to  his  house. 
He  went,  and  Tuikilakila  interrogated  him 
after  this  manner : — '  Who  are  you,  that  you 
should  set  up  priest  and  make  yourself 
somebody  ?  I  will  kill  you  and  eat  you  to- 
day ;  and  if  your  god  be  a  true  god,  he  will 
eat  me  !'  And  he  was  as  good  as  his  word, 
too ;  for  he  lifted  his  ponderous  club  with 
his  giant  arm  and  clubbed  him  on  the  spot, 
put  him  in  an  oven,  and  baked  and  ate  him. 
He  had  to  eat  him  alone,  as  the  people  dared 
not  eat  a  priest,  as  they  feared  the  priest's 
god  would  inflict  vengeance  on  them  for  it." 

The  priests  usually  form  part  of  the  per- 
sonal retinue  of  the  chiefs,  and  are  provided 
for  by  them.  When  the  supply  of  food  does 
not  satisfy  them,  however,  they  call  the  people 
together  and  declare  to  them  a  message  from 
a  god,  upbraiding  them  for  neglect  to  make 
offerings  and  threatening  them  with  severe 


16G  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

punishment.  This  terrifies  the  people  to  such 
a  degree  that  they  hasten  to  fill  the  priests' 
larder  to  overflowing.  The  priest  always 
eats  the  substance  of  an  ofi'ering,  the  god 
only  requiring  the  soul. 

One  who  intends  to  consult  the  oracle 
dresses  and  oils  himself,  and,  accompanied 
by  a  few  others,  goes  to  the  priest,  who,  we 
will  suppose,  has  been  previously  informed 
of  the  intended  visit,  and  is  lying  near  the 
sacred  corner,  getting  ready  his  response. 
"When  the  party  enters,  he  rises,  and  sits  so 
that  his  back  is  near  to  the  white  cloth  by 
which  the  god  visits  him,  while  the  others 
occupy  the  opposite  side  of  the  hure.  The 
principal  person  presents  a  whale's  tooth, 
states  the  purport  of  the  visit,  and  expresses 
a  hope  that  the  god  will  regard  him  with 
favor.  Sometimes  there  is  placed  before  the 
priest  a  dish  of  scented  oil,  with  which  he 
anoints  himself,  and  then  receives  the  tooth, 
regarding  it  with  deep  and  serious  attention. 
Unbroken  silence  follows.  The  priest  be- 
comes absorbed  in  thought,  and  all  eyes 
watch  him  with  unblinking  steadiness.     In 


RELIGION.  167 

a  few  minutes  he  trembles ;  slight  distortions 
are  seen  in  his  face,  and  twitching  move- 
ments in  his  limbs.  These  increase  to  a 
violent  muscular  action,  which  spreads  until 
the  whole  frame  is  strongly  convulsed  and 
the  man  shivers  as  with  a  strong  ague  fit. 
In  some  instances  this  is  accompanied  with 
murmurs  and  sobs,  the  veins  are  greatly  en- 
larged, and  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
quickened.  The  priest  is  now  possessed  by 
his  god,  and  all  his  words  and  actions  are 
considered  as  no  longer  his  own,  but  those 
of  the  deity  who  has  entered  into  him. 
Shrill  cries  of  ''Koi  au  I  Koi  au  /"  "  It  is 
I!  It  is  I!"  fill  the  air,  and  the  god  is  sup- 
posed thus  to  notify  his  approach.  While 
giving  the  answer,  the  priest's  eyes  stand 
out  and  roll  as  in  a  frenzy;  his  voice  is 
unnatural,  his  face  pale,  his  lips  livid,  his 
breathing  depressed,  and  his  entire  appear- 
ance that  of  a  furious  madman.  The 
sweat  runs  from  every  pore,  and  tears  start 
from  his  strained  eyes;  after  which  the 
symptoms  gradually  disappear.  The  priest 
looks  round  with  a  vacant  stare,  and,  as  the 


168  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

god  says,  ''  I  depart,"  announces  his  actual 
departure  by  violently  flinging  himself  down 
on  the  mat,  or  by  suddenly  striking  the 
ground  with  a  club,  when  those  at  a  dis- 
tance are  informed  by  blasts  on  the  conch, 
or  the  firing  of  a  musket,  that  the  deity  has 
returned  into  the  world  of  spirits. 

The  Fijian  gods  are  without  number. 
Every  island  and  village  has  its  own  divi- 
nities, and  almost  every  individual  has  a 
private  system  of  theology.  The  lonely  dell, 
the  gloomy  cave,  the  desolate  rock,  and  the 
deep  forest,  as  well  as  the  depths  of  the  sea, 
are  each  peopled  with  invisible  beings,  many 
of  them  wricked  and  malicious.  The  trem- 
bling traveller  is  careful  to  cast  a  few  leaves 
on  the  piles  accumulated  by  the  superstition 
of  his  predecessors,  in  the  hope  of  inducing 
the  deity  to  let  them  pass  safely.  The  same 
motive  of  fear  and  desire  to  propitiate  the 
gods  actuates  all  their  worship.  The  Fijian 
is  not,  strictly  speaking,  an  idolater.  The 
nearest  approach  he  makes  to  idolatry  is  in 
reverencing  certain  consecrated  stones  and 
clubs,  as  well  as  some  plants  and  animals, 


RELIGION.  169 

supposed  to  contain  deities.  The  distinction 
between  the  reverence  thus  paid,  and  wor- 
ship, is  perhaps  a  subtle  one. 

The  Fijian  gods  are  never  represented  by- 
images  ;  nor  have  they  always  shrines.  The 
principal  god  is  Ndengei.  His  origin  is  un- 
known, although  his  mother  is  said  to  lie  at 
the  bottom  of  a  moat,  in  the  shape  of  two 
great  stones.  The  upper  part  of  his  body- 
is  said  to  be  that  of  a  serpent, — betokening 
his  eternity;  while  the  lower  part  is  of  stone, 
— emblematic  of  duration.  His  only  sensa- 
tion is  hunger ;  his  only  movement,  to  turn 
over,  which  always  produces  an  earthquake. 
Notwithstanding  his  supremacy  over  other 
gods,  he  exerts  no  influence  over  the  affairs  of 
men,  and  they  pay  him  little  homage.  He 
has  few  temples  on  the  islands,  but  at  every 
feast  his  only  attendant  Uto  is  supposed  to 
come  for  his  master's  share,  which  is  usually 
a  scanty  one. 

The  other  gods  are  numerous,  and  are 
described  by  Mr.  Williams  as  ''  demonized 
heathen,"  every  evil  passion  of  the  people 
being  in  them  intensified. 

16 


170  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

Koko  Mbati-Ndua,  the  "  one-toothed  lord," 
is  in  the  shape  of  a  man,  with  wings  instead 
of  arms,  by  means  of  which  he  flies  through 
the  air,  emitting  sparks  of  fire.  His  one 
tooth  is  fixed  in  his  lower  jaw ;  and  on  his 
wings  are  claws,  which  he  uses  to  seize  his 
victims. 

The  inferior  gods  are  much  alike  in 
character,  but  each  has  some  distinguishing 
peculiarities  of  person. 

Kokola,  for  instance,  has  eight  eyes ; 
Matawalu,  eight  arms;  Waluvakatini,  eighty 
stomachs.  Another  has  two  bodies  united, 
like  the  Siamese  twins  ;  and  Thangawalu  is 
a  giant  sixty  feet  high.  These  are  but  a 
few  of  an  endless  number. 

The  gods  are  divided  into  two  classes,  the 
highest  immortal  and  divine,  the  lower  com- 
posed of  the  spirits  of  chiefs  and  heroes, 
subject  to  many  of  the  ills  of  life,  and  even 
to  a  second  death.  Admission  into  the  latter 
order  is  easy.  Said  Tuikilakila  to  Mr.  Hunt, 
"  If  you  die  first,  I  will  make  you  my  god." 

The  off'erings  made  to  the  deities  are  al- 
most all  in  supplication :  sometimes,  after  a 


RELIGION.  171 

good  season  of  turtle-fishing,  or  some  re- 
markable escape  from  danger,  they  make  the 
madrali,  or  thank-offering ;  but  these  in- 
stances are  rare. 

The  offering  is  always  in  proportion  to  the 
importance  of  the  boon  desired.  A  bure  is 
built  only  in  cases  of  extraordinary  conse- 
quence. Tuikilakila,  the  noted  king  of 
Somo-somo,  earnestly  desiring  the  assistance 
of  the  war-god,  not  only  built  him  a  large 
temple,  but  presented  to  him  whales'  teeth, 
sixty  turtles,  and  a  quantity  of  cooked  food. 
Part  of  these  gifts  is  set  aside  for  the  gods,  in 
reality  falling  to  the  priests  :  the  rest  form  a 
great  feast,  of  which  the  whole  tribe  partake. 

Cannibalism  is  part  of  the  religious  ser- 
vices of  the  Fijian.  The  gods — especially 
Ndengei — are  supposed  to  be  great  canni- 
bals ;  and  the  sacrifices  to  them  are  many. 
The  inferior  wives  of  chiefs  used  frequently 
to  be  off'ered  for  this  purpose ;  but  this  prac- 
tice is  now  checked. 

The  future  state  is  believed  by  the  Fijians 
to  contain  several  divisions,  adapted  to  the 
difibrent  merits  of  mortals. 


172  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

Mburotu  is  the  Elysium  of  the  Fijian, 
where  he  expects  to  find  all  the  delights 
to  which  he  is  most  susceptible  on  earth. 
The  inhabit; Hits  of  that  favored  abode  are  be- 
lieved to  rc^pose  under  the  shade  of  sweet- 
scented  gi'oves,  where  the  softest  and  most 
fragrant  breezes  fan  them,  where  the  skies 
are  ever  blue,  and  where  no  interruption  to 
perfect  peace  and  rest  can  come.  One  of 
their  native  songs  shows  their  idea  of  simple 
rest  in  death,  thus : — 

*'  Death  is  easy 

Of  what  use  is  life  ? 
To  die  is  rest." 

Mbulu  is  the  general  term  for  the  world 
of  departed  spirits,  to  which  a  long  and  weary- 
road  is  supposed  to  lead.  In  some  parts  of 
this  abode  the  people  are  said  to  live  much 
as  they  do  on  earth,  but  to  be  of  much 
larger  size  than  they  were  in  this  world. 

The  Fijians  have  no  belief  in  future  re- 
wards or  punishments,  except  that  those  who 
have  displeased  the  gods  will  at  some  time 
surely  feel  their  anger.  Some  offenders  are 
supposed  to  be  laid  in  rows  and  converted 


RELIGION.  173 

into  taro-beds.  Men  who  have  not  had 
their  ears  bored  are  condemned  to  carry  the 
wooden  log  on  which  cloth  is  beaten,  forever 
on  their  shoulders,  scoffed  at  by  all  who  see 
them.  Women  who  have  not  slain  an  enemy 
in  battle  are  sentenced  to  use  the  club 
neglected  in  life  in  beating  a  pile  of  filth, 
which  is  the  most  degrading  punishment 
that  can  be  inflicted  upon  a  Fijian. 

A  spirit  has  many  obstacles  to  encounter  in 
an  attempt  to  reach  Mbulu.  The  cannibal 
gods  watch  eagerly  for  the  souls  of  men, 
and  each  god  has  his  own  class  of  animate 
or  inanimate  objects  appropriated  to  him. 
So  numerous  are  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
that  comparatively  few  are  believed  to  have 
the  happiness  of  entering  Mbulu. 

The  journey  a  spirit  -has  to  take  after 
death,  before  he  can  reach  Mbulu,  is  long  and 
dangerous.  Mr.  Williams  gives  in  substance 
the  following  as  the  traditionary  account  of 
the  path,  modified  in  different  localities : — 
*'  The  spirit  first  reaches  a  hill  called  Taki- 
veleyawa,  which,  however  beautified  with 
trees  and  flowers  visible  to  spirits,  to  mortals 

15« 


174  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

is  dreary  and  desolate."  Here  he  throws  the 
whale's  tooth,  that  was  put  in  his  hand  after 
death,  at  the  ghost  of  a  pandanus-tree :  if 
he  succeeds  in  hitting  this,  he  ascends  the 
hill,  and  waits  for  his  wife  and  other  com- 
panions whom  he  expects  to  join  him. 

But  if  he  should  fail,  he  waits  in  vain  for 
company,  and  pitifully  laments,  ''  How  is 
this  ?  For  a  long  time  I  planted  .food  for 
my  wife,  and  it  was  also  of  great  use  to  her 
friends :  why,  then,  is  she  not  allowed  to 
follow  me?  Do  my  friends  love  me  no  better 
than  this,  after  so  many  years  of  toil  ?  Will 
no  one,  in  love  to  me,  strangle  my  wife?" 

On  the  road  to  Mbulu  is  the  town  of 
Nambanggatai  Samu,  the  killer  of  souls,  and 
his  brothers  hide  themselves  in  some  spirit- 
ual mangrove  bushes  just  beyond  the  town, 
and  alongside  of  the  path,  in  which  they 
stick  a  reed  as  a  prohibition  to  the  spirit 
to  pass  that  way.  Should  the  comer  be 
courageous,  he  raises  his  club  in  defiance 
of  the  tahu  and  those  who  placed  it  there ; 
whereupon  Samu  appears  to  give  him  bat- 
tle.    Should  the  ghost  conquer  in  the  com- 


RELIGION.  175 

bat,  he  passes  on  to  the  judgment-seat ;  but, 
if  wounded,  he  is  doomed  to  wander  among 
the  mountains.  If  he  be  killed  in  the  en- 
counter, he  is  cooked  and  eaten  by  Samu 
and  his  brethren. 

Those  who  escape  the  club  of  the  soul- 
destroyer  walk  on  to  one  of  the  highest 
peaks  of  the  Kauvandra  mountains.  Here 
the  path  to  Mbulu  ends  abruptly  at  the 
brink  of  a  precipice,  the  base  of  which  is 
said  to  be  washed  by  a  deep  lake.  Beyond 
this  precipice  projects  a  large  oar,  which 
tradition  puts  in  the  keeping  of  an  old  man 
and  his  son,  who  act  under  the  direction  of 
the  god.  These  accost  the  coming  spirit 
thus  : — "  Under  what  circumstances  do  you 
come  to  us?  How  did  you  conduct  yourself 
in  the  other  world  ?"  If  the  ghost  should 
be  one  of  rank,  he  answers,  "  I  am  a  great 
chief.  I  lived  as  a  chief,  and  my  conduct 
was  that  of  a  chief.  I  had  great  wealth, 
many  wives,  and  ruled  over  a  powerful  peo- 
ple. I  have  destroyed  many  towns,  and 
slain  many  in  war."  To  this  the  reply  is, 
*'  Good,  good.     Take  a  seat  on  the  broad 


176  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

part  of  this  oar,  and  refresh  yourself  in  the 
coo]  breeze."  No  sooner  is  he  seated,  than 
they  lift  the  handle  of  the  oar,  which  lies 
inland,  and  he  is  thus  thrown  down  head- 
long into  the  deep  waters  below,  through 
which  he  passes  to  Murimuria.  Such  as 
have  gained  the  special  favor  of  Ndengei  are 
warned  not  to  go  out  on  the  oar,  but  to  sit 
near  those  who  hold  it,  and,  after  a  short 
repose,  are  sent  back  to  the  place  whence 
they  came,  to  be  deified. 

The  spirits  of  brutes,  flowers,  trees,  and 
artificial  objects,  such  as  canoes,  houses,  &c., 
are  believed  by  some  to  escape  to  the  Mbulu 
paradise.  On  Vanua  Levu  it  is  believed 
that  these  fly  by  the  same  route  taken  by 
the  spirits  of  men,  but  that  they  meet  on 
the  road  a  god  who  seizes  them  and  appro- 
priates them  to  his  own  use. 

The  Fijians  believe  that  spirits  return  to 
earth  and  annoy  mankind.  Some  speak  of 
a  man  as  having  two  spirits ;  his  shadow,  or 
''  dark  spirit,"  is  the  one  that  travels  off"  to 
the  world  of  shadows,  while  the  other  is  his 
reflection  in  water  or  a  looking-glass.     The 


RELIGION.  177 

latter  haunts  tlie  spot  where  he  dies ;  and  in 
rainy  weather  the  people  fancy  they  hear  it 
moan  as  it  sits  with  its  head  on  its  hands 
trying  to  relieve  its  misery. 

So  fearful  are  the  natives  of  these  ghosts 
that  they  often  hide  themselves  after  a  death 
till  they  think  the  spirit  is  at  rest.  Thus 
are  they  made  wretched  by  superstitions 
most  puerile  and  senseless. 

Witchcraft  exercises  over  the  Fijian  peo- 
ple a  more  powerful  influence  than  any  other 
superstition.  The  modes  of  practising  it 
are  various,  but  the  design  is  usually  to 
destroy  life.  Men  who  laugh  at  the  pre- 
tensions of  the  priest  tremble  at  the  power 
of  the  wizard ;  and  those  who  become  Chris- 
tians lose  this  fear  last  of  all  the  relics  of 
their  heathenism.  The  priests  sometimes 
practise  this  art ;  but  it  is  not  confined  to 
them.  The  natives  purchase,  at  a  high 
rate,  the  influence  of  the  wizard,  and  they 
make  ofi'erings  to  the  gods  or  the  chiefs  in 
order  to  avert  the  spell  of  witchcraft.  So 
great  is  the  dread  of  some  of  these  charms, 
that  persons  have  lain  down  and  died  from 


178  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

terror  on  learning   that  they  were  the  ob- 
jects of  them. 

One  of  the  most  fearful  punishments  that 
can  be  inflicted  on  a  native  is  the  yalovaki. 
When  the  evidence  is  strong  against  a  person 
suspected  of  some  offence,  and  yet  he  re- 
fuses to  confess,  the  chief  who  is  judge  calls 
for  a  scarf,  with  which  "  to  catch  away  the 
soul  of  the  rogue."  A  threat  of  the  rack 
could  not  be  more  effectual.  The  culprit 
generally  confesses  on  the  sight,  and  even 
the  mention,  of  the  light  instrument :  if  not, 
it  would  be  waved  over  his  head  until  his 
soul  was  secured,  and  then  carefully  folded 
up  and  nailed  to  the  small  end  of  a  chief's 
canoe;  and,  for  want  of  his  soul  the  sus- 
pected person  would  pine  and  die. 

Those  who  have  reason  to  suspect  others 
of  plotting  against  them  avoid  eating  in 
their  presence,  or  are  careful  to  leave  no 
fragment  of  food  behind :  they  also  dispose 
their  garment  so  that  no  part  can  be  re- 
moved. Most  natives,  on  cutting  their  hair, 
hide  what  is  cut  off  in  the  thatch  of  their 
own  homes.    Some  build  themselves  a  small 


RELIGION.  179 

house  and  surround  it  with  a  moat,  believ- 
ing that  a  little  water  will  neutralize  the 
charms  which  are  directed  against  them. 

There  are  various  methods  of  divination 
used  in  Fiji.  One  is  by  a  bunch  of  cocoa- 
nuts,  pretty  well  dried.  Having  given  the 
message  of  the  god,  the  priest  continues  : — 
"  I  shall  shake  these  nuts  :  if  all  fall  off,  the 
child  will  recover;  but  if  any  remain  on,  it 
will  die."  He  then  shakes  and  jerks  the  nuts, 
generally  with  all  his  might.  Some  pour  a 
few  drops  of  water  on  the  front  of  the  right 
arm,  near  the  shoulder,  and,  the  arm  being 
gently  inclined,  the  course  of  the  water  is 
watched ;  and  if  it  find  its  way  down  to  the 
wrist  the  answer  is  favorable,  but  otherwise 
if  it  run  off  and  fall  on  the  floor. 

The  seer  also  is  known  in  Fiji.  He  sits 
listening  to  the  applicant's  wishes,  and  then, 
closing  his  eyes  on  earthly  things,  describes 
to  the  inquirer  the  scenes  of  the  future 
which  pass  before  his  vision.  These  gene- 
rally consist  of  burning  houses,  fleeing  war- 
riors, bloody  plains,  or  death-stricken  sick 
ones,  as   the  case  may  require.     A  similar 


180  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

personage  is  the  taro,  "  ask,"  who  sits  with 
his  knee  up  and  his  foot  resting  on  the  heel, 
with  a  stick  placed  in  a  line  with  the  mid- 
dle of  it.  Without  being  told  the  object  of 
the  visit,  he  states  whether  his  presentiment 
is  good  or  evil,  and  then  is  informed  of  the 
matter  inquired  after,  and  proceeds  to  apply 
his  impressions  about  it  in  detail.  There  is 
also  the  dautadra,  or  professional  dreamer, 
who  receives  a  present  on  communicating 
his  revelations  to  the  parties  concerned, 
whether  they  tell  of  good  or  evil,  and  who 
seldom  happens  to  dream  about  any  one 
who  cannot  pay  well.  Some  believe  that  a 
good  present  often  averts  the  evil  of  a  bad 
dream. 

Their  traditions  are  numerous  and  con- 
tradictory. One  of  these  in  regard  to  the 
origin  of  the  races  is  similar  to  a  tradition 
among  the  blacks  of  Africa.  They  say  that 
the  first  person  created  was  the  Fijian ;  he 
was  dark  and  badly  behaved,  so  the  gods 
punished  him  by  giving  him  very  little 
clothing;  next  they  made  the  Tongan, 
who  was  lighter  and  better-behaved,  so  they 


RELIGION.  181 

gave  him  a  better  supply  of  apparel  than 
the  Fijian;  the  last  one  they  formed  was 
the  white  man,  who  was  of  such  a  fine  color, 
and  so  good,  that  they  rewarded  him  by 
giving  him  an  ample  suit. 

Ndengei,  according  to  one  Fijian  tradi- 
tion, was  the  creator  of  man.  He  failed 
clumsily  in  several  of  his  first  attempts ;  and 
the  first  woman  he  made  was  met  by  the 
god  Koko  Matu,  who  was  much  displeased 
with  her  formation,  and  persuaded  Ndengei 
to  alter  her  to  her  present  figure. 

In  the  Fiji  Islands  we  find  the  universal 
tradition  of  the  flood.  The  natives  have 
several  different  accounts  of  it,  which  agree 
in  the  main  points.  One  of  these  tells  us 
that  Ndengei  had  two  mischievous  grand- 
sons, who  killed  his  favorite  bird.  Adding 
insolence  and  defiance  to  the  outrage,  they 
fortified  the  town  in  which  they  lived,  and 
defied  their  grandfather  to  do  his  worst. 
He  spent  three  months  in  gathering  an 
army,  but  was  not  able  to  conquer  the 
rebels.  He  then  commanded  the  rain  to 
fall,  and  the  whole  earth  was  flooded,  houses 

16 


182  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

and  mountains  were  submerged;  but  the 
insurgents,  from  their  rocky  tower,  looked 
defiantly  down  on  the  rising  waters.  But 
when  they  saw  the  waves  reaching  and  in- 
vading their  stronghold,  they  called  in  ter- 
ror to  a  god,  who  directed  them  to  build  a 
boat,  in  which  eight  persons  were  saved. 

When  the  waters  subsided,  they  were  left 
on  Mbengga.  From  this  circumstance  the 
Mbenggans  claim  to  be  first  in  Fiji,  their 
title  signifying  ''  subject  only  to  heaven." 

All  of  their  histories  of  the  flood  agree 
with  the  biblical  account  in  the  number  of 
persons  saved,  and  in  the  belief  that  it  was 
by  supernatural  interposition. 

The  highest  point  of  the  island  of  Koro 
is  associated  with  the  history  of  the  flood. 
Its  name  is  Ngginggi-tangithi-Koro,  which 
conveys  the  idea  of  a  little  bird  sitting  there 
and  lamenting  the  drowned  island.  In  this 
bird  the  Christians  recognize  Noah's  dove 
on  its  second  flight  from  the  ark.  "  I  have 
heard  a  native,"  says  Mr.  Williams,  ''  after 
listening  to  the  incident  as  given  by  Moses, 
chant,  ^  Na  qiqi  sa  tagiei  Koro  ni  yali :' 


RELIGION.  183 

'  The  Qiqi  laments  over  Koro,  because  it  is 
lost.'" 

We  find  here  also  a  trace  of  the  tower  of 
Babel : — "  Near  Na  Savu,  Vanua  Levu,  the 
natives  point  out  the  site  where,  in  former 
ages,  men  built  a  vast  tower,  being  eager 
for  astronomic  information,  and  especially 
anxious  to  decide  the  difficult  question  as  to 
whether  the  moon  was  inhabited.  To  effect 
their  purpose,  they  cast  up  a  high  mound, 
and  erected  thereon  a  great  building  of 
timber.  The  tower  had  already  risen  far 
skyward,  and  the  ambitious  hopes  of  its 
industrious  builders  seemed  near  fulfilment, 
when  the  lower  fastenings  suddenly  broke 
asunder  and  scattered  the  workmen  over 
every  part  of  Fiji."  These  traditions  are 
of  much  interest  to  the  Christian  world, 
however  we  may  account  for  their  striking 
similarity  to  Bible  history  and  events.  It 
cannot  now  be  ascertained  with  certainty 
how  these  fragments  of  truth  came  to  be 
interwoven  with  traditionary  falsehoods ;  but 
the  fact  is  a  suggestive  one. 


184  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

An  attempt  has  now  been  made  to  give 
an  outline  of  the  Fijian  people,  their  habits 
of  life  and  character,  their  religious  belief, 
and  the  main  influences  that  operate  to 
make  them  what  the  missionaries  find  them 
on  reaching  their  shores. 

It  will  be  interesting  to  turn  from  this 
picture,  and  see  what  success  those  mission- 
aries have  had,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  in 
changing  their  habits,  substituting  the 
glorious  light  of  the  gospel  for  the  gross 
darkness  of  heathenism,  and  raising  them 
from  moral  degradation  to  virtue  and  de- 
cency. We  may  thus  be  led  to  wonder  and 
adore,  in  view  of  the  power  of  the  Christian 
religion  to  enter  the  darkest  soul  and  trans- 
form it  into  a  soul  washed  white  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb. 


®k  ©annibal  ^^\mA$. 

PART  II. 


FIJI  RECEIVING  THE  GOSPEL. 


'•  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  0  ye  nations,  and  declare  it  in  the 
islos  afar  ofif." 


185 


16* 


PART  SECOND, 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    MISSION   ESTABLISHED. 

The  mission  to  the  Fiji  Islands  has  beer, 
as  remarkable  for  its  success  as  any  ever 
undertaken  by  the  Christian  world.  The 
account  which  has  been  given  of  the  people 
exhibits  faintly  the  difficulties  that  the  gos- 
pel had  to  meet  and  conquer  in  order  to 
make  progress  in  its  work.  The  darkest 
qualities  of  the  Fijian  nature — those  which 
oppose  the  greatest  barrier  to  the  influence 
of  Christianity — have  been  least  noticed  in 
that  account.  These  facts  should  be  con- 
sidered in  judging  of  the  missionaries'  labor. 

Missionaries  were  sent  to  the  Friendly 
Islands,  another  group  in  the  Pacific,  as 
early  as  1796;  but  for  nearly  twenty 
years   they  wearily  labored,  cheered  by  no 

187 


188  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

success.  Still  they  toiled,  and  waited  for 
the  blessing,  in  the  confidence  that  these 
islands  were  to  be  eventually  converted  to 
God.  Nor  did  they  wait  in  vain.  A  history 
of  this  successful  mission  has  been  published, 
showing  what  was  wrought  by  God  among 
these  savage  islanders. 

The  influence  of  the  missionaries  extended 
gradually  to  the  Fiji  Islands,  in  consequence 
of  the  frequent  visits  made  by  Tongans  to 
them.  These  visits  were  sometimes  involun- 
tary, owing  to  the  drifting  of  their  canoes 
in  that  direction,  and  sometimes  made  to 
obtain  timber  or  to  trade  in  various  articles. 
The  Fijian  timber  was  especially  desired; 
and  a  number  of  those  visiting  the  islands 
for  this  or  other  purposes  finally  obtained  a 
footing  there  and  made  permanent  settle- 
ments. Some  few  of  these  Tongan  sailors 
had  been  converted  to  Christ  in  their  own 
islands  ;  and  when  chey  found  themselves 
among  those  yet  ignorant  of  the  Saviour, 
they  sought  to  shed  the  light  given  to  them 
upon  the  darkness  around;  and  thus  was 
Christianity  first  brought  to  Fiji. 


THE    MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  189 

But  in  1834,  when  the  Tongan  Church 
was  visited  with  a  remarkable  blessing  from 
God,  the  first-fruits  of  the  new  life  begun  in 
them  were  manifested  in  an  earnest  desire 
to  attempt  in  a  more  direct  manner  the 
spreading  of  the  ''  tidings  of  great  joy"  in 
the  Fijian  Islands.  Small  as  the  number 
of  missionaries  was  in  the  Friendly  Islands, 
they  determined,  after  earnest,  prayerful 
consultation  together,  to  send  two  of  the 
little  band  to  Fiji. 

The  Rev.  William  Cross  and  Rev.  David 
Cargill  were  appointed  to  undertake  this 
mission.  It  was  not  a  small  sacrifice  which 
these  men  made  in  leaving  the  scene  of  their 
past  labors  for  a  new  and  perilous  field. 
Mr.  Cross  had  been  eight  years,  and  Mr. 
Cargill  two,  in  the  Friendly  Islands,  and 
they  had  established  homes,  had  become 
attached  to  the  people,  and  began  to  see  the 
fruit  of  all  their  toil  and  suffering.  But 
immortal  souls  cried  out  to  them  from  the 
neighboring  darkness  and  wretchedness  of 
savage  heathenism,  asking  for  the  light  of 
life;   and  the  call  could  not  be  unheeded. 


190  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

The  two  missionaries,  with  their  families, 
sailed  October  8,  1835,  and  reached  La- 
kemba  October  12,  having  before  their 
departure  begun  to  study  the  language,  con- 
structed an  alphabet,  and  printed  in  Fijia.n 
a  little  ''  First  book"  and  a  catechism. 

The  Christian  king  George  of  Tonga  sent 
to  accompany  them  an  influential  person, 
with  a  present  to  the  King  of  Lakemba,  and 
a  message  stating  the  benefits  conferred 
by  the  missionaries  on  himself  and  his 
people  and  urging  their  kind  treatment  of 
them. 

Lakemba  is  one  of  the  largest  islands  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  group.  It  is  thirty 
miles  in  circumference,  and  has  twelve  towns 
upon  it,  containing  in  all  about  four  thousand 
inhabitants. 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  two  missionaries 
went  ashore  in  a  boat,  the  schooner  in  the 
mean  time  lying  off  without  coming  to 
anchor.  Deafening  shouts  along  the  shore 
announced  the  approach  of  the  vessel,  and 
drew  together  a  great  crowd  of  wild-looking 
Tongans  and  Fijians,  armed  and  blackened, 


THE   MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  191 

according   to  their  custom,  to   receive  the 
strangers. 

At  the  very  outset,  the  missionaries  had 
a  great  advantage  in  being  able  at  once  to 
converse  with  the  people  without  an  inter- 
preter;  for  many  of  the  Fijians  at  Lakemba, 
through  very  long  intercourse  with  the  Ton- 
gans,  could  speak  their  language.  Thus 
the  visitors  passed  through  crowds  of  Ton- 
gans,  hailing  them  with  the  friendly  greet- 
ings of  their  ov/n  land ;  and  leaving  behind 
them  the  Tongan  houses,  stretching  for 
nearly  half  a  mile  among  the  cocoanut- 
trees  on  the  shore,  they  came  at  once  to 
the  king's  town,  which*  lies  about  four  hun- 
dred yards  inland.  In  one  of  his  large 
houses,  they  were  introduced  to  the  king 
and  some  of  his  chiefs.  Tui  Nayau  readily 
promised  them  land  for  the  mission  premises, 
and  desired  that  their  families  and  goods 
should  be  landed  forthwith,  promising  that 
temporary  houses  should  be  erected  as  soon 
as  possible.  In  the  mean  time,  one  of  his  own 
large  houses  was  offered  to  the  strangers, 
who,  however,  feared  to  reside  within  the 


192  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

town,  considering  it  unhealthy  from  its 
crowded  state  and  the  embankment  and 
moat  by  which  it  is  surrounded. 

The  interview  was  very  favorable,  and,  a 
suitable  place  having  been  chosen  for  the 
new  dwellings,  between  the  town  and  the 
Tongan  settlement,  the  missionaries  returned 
to  the  schooner  to  give  in  their  report  to 
their  wives  and  the  captain.  The  ''  Black- 
bird" then  cast  anchor,  and  the  families, 
who  had  suffered  very  severely  from  sea- 
sickness, were  only  too  eager  to  get  ashore. 
A  large  canoe-house  on  the  beach,  open  at 
the  sides  and  end,  was  given  them  as  their 
dwelling  until  proper  houses  could  be  built. 
Under  this  great  shed  the  two  families  passed 
the  night,  but  not  in  sleep.  The  curtains 
had  been  left  on  board  with  their  other 
goods ;  and  they  speak  of  the  mosquitos  that 
night  as  being  "  innumerable  and  unusually 
large."  Numbers  of  pigs,  too,  seemed  greatly 
disquieted,  and  kept  up  a  loud  grunting  all 
round  until  morning.  Here,  then,  beneath 
a  canoe-shed,  the  missionary  band  spent  their 
first  night  in  Fiji,  the  wives  and  children 


THE    MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  193 

worn  out  with  their  voyage,  stung  by  num- 
berless mosquitos,  and  the  crying  of  the 
little  ones  answered  by  the  grunts  of  pigs 
running  about  in  all  directions.  Glad  enough 
were  they,  the  next  morning,  to  accept  the 
captain's  invitation  and  go  back  to  the  ves- 
sel until  their  houses  were  ready. 

House-building  is  sharp  work  in  Fiji. 
The  missionaries  arrived  at  Lakemba  on 
the  12th,  the  houses  were  commenced  on 
the  14th,  and  on  the  17th  the  two  families 
took  possession  of  them.  They  were  told 
by  the  king  that  these  houses  were  only 
temporary  houses,  till  he  could  erect  sub- 
stantial buildings  for  their  use. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
missionaries  preached  twice  out-of-doors  in 
the  Tongan  language  to  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  Tongans  ai^d  Fijians.  In  the 
morning  King  Tui  Nayau  attended,  and 
listened  very  attentively.  The  missionaries 
soon  found  abundant  occupation  for  hands, 
head,  and  heart.  Hands  must  be  busy  in 
completing  the  houses  and  putting  up  doors 
and  windows ;  the  language  must  be  studied, 

17 


194  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

the  Scriptures  translated,  and  a  grammar 
and  dictionary  commenced. 

Their  numerous  occupations  were  con- 
stantly interrupted  by  the  visits  of  the 
natives,  who  came  to  trade  with  or  to  stare 
at  the  strangers,  and  usually  to  secrete  and 
carry  away  any  small  articles  they  could 
find.  This  influx  of  visitors  was  annoying 
to  the  missionaries;  but,  as  it  brought  them 
into  familiar  contact  with  the  natives,  it 
could  not  be  altogether  discouraged. 

It  was  frequently  the  case  that  large  par- 
ties visiting  Lakemba  from  distant  islands 
would  ask  permission  to  inspect  the  premises, 
which  was  generally  granted.  These  visit- 
ors, having  nothing  to  do,  were  generally 
disposed  to  stay  longer  than  was  necessary 
for  any  good  purpose,  and  would  prowl  about, 
picking  up  any  knife  or  other  small  article 
that  they  could  lay  hands  on,  and  secreting  it, 
with  marvellous  cleverness,  in  their  scanty 
clothing.  Increased  watchfulness  was  the 
result;  and  such  parties,  after  having  spent 
time  enough  in  examining  the  place,  and 
having  listened  with  attention  to  a  state- 


THE    MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  195 

ment  of  the  objects  of  the  mission,  were  in- 
formed that  the  missionary  or  his  wife  had 
other  business,  and  were  kindly  reminded 
of  the  expediency  of  their  attending  to  their 
own  affairs  elsewhere. 

Considerable  losses  and  much  annoyance, 
but  great  good  also,  came  of  all  this. 
The  natives  took  notice  of  every  thing,  and 
could  not  help  admiring  the  domestic  com- 
forts, regularity  of  meals,  subjection  of 
children,  love  of  husband  and  wife,  and 
general  social  enjoyment,  which  could  only 
be  taught  by  a  practical  exhibition  of  them 
in  every  day-life. 

The  only  way  in  which  the  missionaries 
could  obtain  necessary  food  or  services,  such 
as  gardening,  fencing,  &c.,  was  by  exchang- 
ing for  them  knives,  axes,  calicoes,  and  other 
articles  desired  by  the  natives.  Whatever 
the  mission  families  needed  was  bargained 
for  in  the  same  manner,  thus  stimulating 
the  industry  of  the  people  and  introducing 
civilized  comforts  among  them. 

The  king's  promise  to  build  for  the  mis- 
sion  more   substantial  dwellings  was   still 


196  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

unfulfilled,  when  one  day  a  hurricane  blew 
the  two  houses  down,  and  Tui  Nayau  could 
delay  no  longer  the  erection  of  new  build- 
ings for  the  Papalangis.  In  addition  he 
built  them  a  chapel,  using  the  posts  and 
timber  of  the  ruined  houses  for  the  purpose. 
While  the  comfort  of  the  mission  families 
was  thus  more  permanently  secured,  much 
additional  labor  was  brought  upon  them  for 
a  time  in  arranging  and  furnishing  their 
dwellings  and  chapel. 

When  the  new  year  came  in,  they  had  in 
their  chapel  a  regular  congregation  of  about 
two  hundred  persons.  In  the  spring  thirty- 
one  adults  and  twenty-three  children  were 
baptized,  classes  for  church-members  formed, 
and  a  school  for  all  ages  organized.  Of  the 
thirty-one  adults  just  mentioned,  the  ma- 
jority were  Tongans.  These  people,  who 
had  been  notoriously  wicked  even  in  Fiji, 
were  some  of  them  so  manifestly  changed 
from  savage  heathen  into  gentle,  self- 
denying  Christians  as  to  render  invaluable 
service  to  the  mission  work  among  the 
Fijians.     Their  independent  position  among 


THE   MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  197 

the  Fijians  made  their  profession  a  bold  one; 
and  they  afterwards  spread  the  knowledge  of 
the  gospel  to  other  islands  with  earnestness 
and  zeal.  The  Fijians  around  them  did  not 
fail  to  see  the  change  wrought  in  them  and  to 
be  in  time  influenced  by  it  in  their  own  lives. 
Gradually  the  number  of  visitors  to  the 
mission  premises  increased  and  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  authorities  by  their  dis- 
content with  their  own  gods  and  priests  and 
their  refusal  to  comply  with  their  demands. 
Those  in  favor  of  the  new  religion  were  for 
a  time  protected  from  violence  by  the  fact 
that  a  Tongan  chief  whose  party  were 
powerful  for  the  defence  of  Lakemba  was  a 
convert  to  Christianity.  But  the  king's 
god,  and  the  priests  in  the  name  of  the 
gods,  were  loud  in  their  denunciations  of 
the  missionaries,  their  doctrines,  and  their 
converts;  and  an  attack  was  finally  made 
upon  the  houses  of  the  Christians  and  their 
possessions.  As  is  always  the  case,  however, 
the  true  religion  gained  instead  of  losing 
ground  by  these  measures.  The  calm  and 
steadfast  endurance  by  the  Christians  of 
17* 


198  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

persecution,  and  their  willingness  to  shed 
their  blood  in  defence  of  their  new  faith, 
at  the  same  time  that  they  manifested  kind- 
ness and  good  will  towards  the  king,  im- 
pressed their  enemies  most  forcibly  and 
favorably.  Attention  was  more  drawn  to 
the  missionaries  and  their  teachings,  and 
the  claims  of  the  native  priests  were  more 
closely  examined,  resulting  in  the  discovery 
of  many  failures  on  their  part  to  prophesy 
truly  and  to  fulfil  their  promises  of  aid. 

"While  the  priests  were  thus  losing  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  the  missionaries 
were  daily  acquiring  more  influence  over 
them,  by  their  ability  to  supply  them  with 
desired  articles  and  to  give  them  help  in 
many  ways.  At  the  end  of  a  year  there 
was  a  church  of  two  hundred  and  eighty 
persons  ;  there  was  regular  preaching  in  four 
towns,  and  day-schools,  Scripture  readers, 
and  written,  as  well  as  a  few  printed,  books. 

The  domestic  affairs  of  the  missionary 
families  were  at  this  time  painfully  embar- 
rassed. Their  articles  for  barter  were  aii 
gone,  and  these  were  their  only  means  of 


THE   MISSION   ESTABLISHED.  199 

obtaining  fresh  food.  They  were  obliged, 
therefore,  for  several  months  to  use  musty 
flour;  and  when  that  too  was  gone,  their 
subsistence  was  on  yams  and  salt,  and  cakes 
made  of  arrow-root  and  yams.  The  health 
of  some  of  them  suffered  from  their  priva- 
tions. Calicoes,  sorely  wanted  for  family  use, 
were  parted  with  to  obtain  food.  Trunks, 
wearing-apparel,  and  every  thing  else  avail- 
able, were  thus  disposed  of.  Mere  conve- 
niences, such  as  cooking-utensils  or  crockery- 
ware,  had  disappeared :  so  that  Mr.  Cargill 
had  only  one  teacup  left,  and  that  had  lost 
its  handle.  This  state  of  things  lasted  un- 
til the  end  of  the  year,  when  an  opportunity 
at  last  came  of  sending  help  from  Tonga. 

During  this  year  of  domestic  trial,  letters 
and  a  vessel  of  supplies  arrived,  and  gave 
much  joy  and  relief.  As  the  sloop  was 
leaving  Lakemba,  it  was  wrecked;  but  the 
crew  were  saved,  and  in  a  few  days  returned 
to  Lakomba.  Before  Christianity  was  known 
in  Fiji,  shipwrecked  men  were  killed  and 
eaten;  but  its  humanizing  influence  now 
caused  them  to  be  unmolested. 


200  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Tlie  captain,  mate,  and  supercargo  were 
received  by  the  missionaries,  and,  in  return 
for  the  kindness  shown  by  their  entertainers, 
the  sailors  made  stools,  bedsteads,  and  other 
useful  articles  of  furniture,  from  wreckage 
picked  up  by  the  natives.  Mr.  Cargill  at  last 
reached  such  a  degree  of  luxury  as  to  have 
part  of  the  floor  of  his  bedroom  boarded, 
whereby  much  more  comfort  was  secured 
than  by  mats. 

From  time  to  time  supplies  of  clothing 
and  stores  reached  the  mission  families ;  but 
they  labored  with  prostrating  sickness  often 
among  them,  and  amidst  difficulties  and 
trials  of  which  Christians  at  home  know 
little.  The  news  of  results  reached  Eng- 
land ;  but  little  could  be  said,  and  nothing 
realized,  of  the  weariness,  the  disappoint- 
ment, the  sufferings  and  tears,  which  these 
men,  accustomed  to  comfort,  had  undergone 
for  themselves  and  their  families  before  such 
news  could  be  told. 

At  the  close  of  1837  the  missionaries  de- 
cided to  carry  the  gospel  to  another  part 
of  the  Fijian   group,  and  Mr.  Cross,  with 


THE    MISSION    ESTABLISHED.  201 

his  family,  removed  to  Mbau.  Here,  in  a 
^mall  damp  house,  containing  but  one  room, 
the  missionary  was  taken  ill,  and  for  many 
weeks  was  apparently  on  the  verge  of  the 
grave.  He  recovered  with  shattered  health, 
and  began  his  labors  with  a  good  prospect 
of  success.  Persecution  came,  and,  as  at 
Lakemba,  first  checked,  then  fostered,  the 
growth  of  the  new  religion. 

At  both  the  Fijian  mission  stations  help 
was  now  needed  most  sorely  by  the  two 
solitary  laborers;  and  this  need  was  realized 
in  the  Friendly  Islands.  An  earnest  appeal 
was  successfully  addressed  to  Christians  in 
England  in  behalf  of  Fiji,  and  three  mis- 
fcionaries  were  at  once  sent  from  that  country, 
lo  be  joined  by  two  more  from  the  Friendly 
Islands.  The  Eev.  John  Hunt,  T.  J.  Jagger, 
and  James  Calvert  sailed  from  England  in 
April,  1838,  and  Mr.  Lyth  and  Mr.  Spinney 
jifterwards  joined  them  at  Fiji.  Mr.  Hunt 
went  immediately  to  Eewa,  for  the  purpose 
of  relieving  Mr.  Cross  from  part  of  his 
labors ;  and,  as  he  carried  with  him  good 
stores  for  barter,  his  arrival  added  much  to 


202  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

the  comfort  of  the  mission.  There  was 
enough  to  encourage  the  missionaries  in 
what  they  saw  around  them  as  the  results 
of  their  labors.  The  attention  of  the  people 
was  awakened,  many  forsook  their  priests 
and  temples  for  the  mission  church,  and 
some  gave  evidence  of  being  truly  renewed 
in  heart  and  life.  Cannibalism  and  other 
savage  horrors  were  still  practised,  almost 
within  sight  of  the  missionaries;  but  they 
knew  that  the  true  religion  had  taken  deep 
root,  and  that  it  would  grow  and  spread 
until  its  blessed  influence  should  cover  the 
land  and  transform  its  moral  barrenness 
into  spiritual  life  and  beauty. 

A  great  event  had  in  the  mean  time  taken 
place  in  Lakemba.  The  expected  printing- 
press  had  arrived  in  good  order,  had  been 
set  up,  and  the  Gospel  of  St.  Mark  and  the 
catechism  had  been  printed  in  Fijian.  Three 
years  before,  no  written  language  existed  on 
the  islands,  and  the  degraded  inhabitants 
knew  not  the  darkness  in  which  they  lived. 
Now  the  instrument  of  enlightenment,  of 
civilization,  and  of  power  was  at  work  among 


ONO.  203 

them,  and  their  condition  could  never  be 
quite  so  low  as  it  had  been.  The  mission- 
aries now  felt  that  they  had  a  sufficiently 
effective  force  to  extend  their  labors  to  other 
islands  in  the  group.  They  resolved  to 
remove  the  printing-press  to  Eewa,  as  being 
the  best  fitted  for  a  central  station,  and  to 
establish  two  new  stations.  Soon  afterwards 
Mr.  Spinney  arrived  from  the  Friendly 
Islands;  but  it  was  only  to  leave  Fiji  again 
immediately  for  Sydney,  to  check,  if  possible, 
the  progress  of  far-advanced  disease.  He 
died  in  the  February  following ;  and  his  loss 
was  deeply  felt  by  the  little  band  of  laborers 
for  the  Lord  in  Fiji. 


CHAPTER  11. 

ONO. 


The  island  of  Ono  is  the  chief  of  a  small 
group  in  the  south  of  Fiji.  It  is  tributary 
to  Lakemba,  and  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  distant  from  it.     There  is  con- 


204  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

siderable  traffic,  and  a  friendly  state  of  feel- 
ing, between  the  two  places. 

During  the  year  1835 — the  same  year  that 
Mr.  Cross  and  Mr.  Cargill  came  to  Fiji,  but 
previous  to  their  arrival — Wai,  a  chief  from 
Ono,  visited  Lakemba  to  bring  the  annual 
tribute.  His  people  had  been  recently  suf- 
fering from  destructive  wars  and  a  raging 
epidemic,  which  had  caused  great  and  wide- 
spread alarm.  They  redoubled  their  zeal  in 
worshipping  and  offering  sacrifices  to  their 
gods,  but  no  help  or  relief  came.  In  this 
distress  Wai  left  them  to  go  to  Lakemba. 
There  he  met  Takai,  a  chief  who  had  visited 
the  Friendly  Islands  and  Tahiti  and  become 
a  Christian.  This  man  told  Wai  all  he  knew 
of  the  true  God,  which  was  that  there  was 
but  one  God,  and  Jehovah  was  his  name, 
and  that  it  was  wrong  to  worship  any  other. 
Carrying  this  precious  gleam  of  gospel  light 
with  him,  Wai  returned  to  his  dark  and 
sorrowing  land.  He  and  the  companions 
of  his  journey  had  now  lost  all  faith  in  the 
native  gods;  and  they  determined  to  forsake 
them  and  pray  to  Jehovah  for  help  in  their 


ONO.  205 

distress.  Resolving  to  conduct  every  thing 
as  nearly  as  possible  after  the  manner  of 
the  Christians,  they  set  aside  the  seventh 
day  for  the  worship  of  Grod.  Their  food  was 
prepared  on  the  previous  day,  they  dressed 
with  extraordinary  care,  anointed  their 
bodies  profusely,  and  met  to  join  in  Christian 
worship.  But  when  they  were  assembled, 
a  difficulty  presented  itself.  They  knew 
they  should  pray  to  Jehovah ;  but  no  one  of 
them  had  ever  tried  to  pray :  the  priests  had 
always  done  that  for  them.  In  their  per- 
plexity they  now  appealed  to  one  of  their 
heathen  priests  for  assistance. 

The  priest  consented — from  fear  or  kind- 
ness— to  officiate  for  them ;  and  this  group  of 
h.eath.en&  felt  after  "  the  Lord,  if  haply  they 
might  find  him,"  in  these  words  uttered  by 
the  priest : — ''  Lord  Jehovah  !  here  are  thy 
people  :  they  worship  thee.  I  turn  my  back 
on  thee  for  the  present,  and  am  on  another 
tack,  worshipping  another  god.  But  do 
thou  bless  these  thy  people  :  keep  them  from 
harm,  and  do  them  good." 

After  this  brief  service  the  people  returned 

18 


206  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

to  their  usual  occupations,  and  on  every 
seventh  day  they  met  to  worship  Jehovah, 
with  the  priest  for  their  minister. 

Nor  was  the  merciful  God  unmindful  of 
their  prayer ;  for  in  their  hearts  he  strength- 
ened the  desire  to  know  more  of  him,  and 
opened  the  way  for  its  fulfilment. 

The  people,  as  they  looked  eagerly  for  an 
opportunity  to  obtain  the  knowledge  for 
which  they  thirsted,  hailed  with  unusual 
delight  the  arrival  of  a  whaler  which  stopped 
at  Ono  for  provision  on  its  way  to  the 
Friendly  Islands.  This  vessel  agreed  to  take 
two  messengers  to  Tonga,  where  the  people 
knew  that  missionaries  were  stationed,  to 
beg  for  a  teacher. 

The  Lord  did  not  sufier  these  earnest, 
simple-hearted  inquirers  after  truth  to  wait 
the  long  time  necessary  for  a  voyage  to 
Tonga  and  back. 

That  spring  a  company  of  Christian  Ton- 
gans  set  sail  from  Lakemba  for  Tonga.  The 
winds  were  contrary,  the  canoe  became  un- 
manageable, and  they  drifted  off  to  Vatoa, 
or  Turtle  Island,  about  fifty  miles  from  Ono. 


ONo.  207 

Here  they  found  that  the  new  religion  at 
Ono  was  the  universal  topic  of  conversation  ; 
and  this  subject  was  one  of  deep  interest  to 
the  shipwrecked  Christians.  One  of  them — 
a  young  man,  Josiah  by  name — hastened  to 
go  to  Ono  and  tell  them  all  he  could  of  the 
God  they  were  so  earnestly  seeking. 

In  the  mean  time  the  two  messengers 
arrived  at  Tonga,  where  they  were  told  that 
there  were  now  two  missionaries  in  Fiji,  at 
Lakemba,  and  that  they  must  apply  to  them. 
They  went  directly  home  with  this  intelli- 
gence; but  their  astonishment  was  great 
when  they  saw  the  changes  that  had  taken 
place  during  their  absence.  Instead  of  the 
heathen  priest  who  had  prayed  to  Jehovah, 
"worshipping  another  god,"  was  the  Chris- 
tian Josiah  conducting  public  services  and 
teaching  all  who  came  to  him.  Some  of 
the  people  were  praying  for  themselves ;  the 
whole  of  the  Sabbath  was  kept  holy ;  a  chapel 
was  built,  and  the  number  of  worshippers 
had  increased  to  forty.  The  news  their 
messengers  brought  of  missionaries  being  so 
)\ear  them  aroused  an  ardent  desire  in  the 


208  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

minds  of  the  people  to  have  a  teacher  fully 
qualified  to  administer  all  the  rites  of  the 
Christian  religion ;  but  they  kaew  that  the 
voyage  to  Lakemba  was  long  and  perilous, 
and  the  teachers  were  few.  Yet  the  Lord 
they  sought  was  again  watching  over  and 
providing  for  them  in  a  way  they  knew  not. 
A  young  man  of  Ono,  wild  and  reckless, 
who  had  gone  to  Tonga  some  years  before, 
had  there  become  a  Christian,  and  joined 
the  missionaries  at  Lakemba,  where  he 
labored  with  energy  in  order  to  qualify 
himself  to  teach  among  his  own  people. 
The  missionaries  instructed  and  assisted 
him  until  he  was  fitted  to  be  a  preacher, 
when  they  sent  him  to  Ono.  He  took  the 
name  of  Isaac  Ravuata.  His  arrival  at  Ono 
was  in  the  beginning  of  1838 ;  and  he  found 
that  already  one  hundred  and  twenty  adults 
had  forsaken  idolatry  for  the  worship  of  the 
true  God,  and  that  they  were  living  quiet, 
well-ordered  lives.  They  received  him  most 
joyfully,  supplied  him  with  every  thing  for 
his  comfort,  and  eagerly  opened  their  hearts 
to  his  teaching  of  gospel  truth. 


ONO.  209 

Isaac  soon  found  that  he  needed  books, 
and  sent  word  by  the  returning  canoe  to 
tell  the  missionaries  of  this  want.  When 
the  message  reached  them,  Mr.  Cargill  s 
time  was  fully  occupied  with  preaching  four 
times  on  Sunday  and  several  times  through 
the  week,  translating  the  Scriptures,  visit- 
ing the  towns,  and  constantly  interrupted 
by  visitors :  yet,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
wife,  he  prepared  a  number  of  elementary 
books  and  sent  them  to  Ono. 

From  Ono  the  missionaries  still  received 
good  tidings.  In  1839  they  sent  thither 
three  more  teachers;  and  the  sailors  who 
took  them  brought  back  an  entreaty  for  a 
missionary,  and  also  the  intelligence  that 
the  number  of  converts  had  increased  to 
three  hundred  and  twenty-eight.  They  had 
built  three  chapels,  all  of  which  were  well 
filled ;  and  the  people  were  so  anxious  to  be 
taught  that  they  would  scarcely  allow  the 
teachers  time  to  take  the  needful  rest  from 
their  labors.  The  same  canoe  returning  to 
Lakemba  brought  news  that  the  little  island 
of  Vatoa— Turtle  Island— had  also  received 

18* 


210  THE  CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel.  A  Vatoan 
had  been  converted  at  Lakemba,  and  on  his 
return  home  persuaded  his  people  to  forsake 
their  gods :  so  that  when  the  Lakemba  Chris- 
tians left  Vatoa  the  whole  number  of  in- 
habitants— sixty-six — professed  Christianity 
and  urgently  requested  a  teacher. 


CHAPTER  III. 

REWA. 

While  the  people  in  Lakemba  were  yield- 
ing to  the  influence  of  the  new  religion,  the 
king  Tui  Nayau  was  becoming  more  open 
in  his  expressions  of  hostility  to  the  con- 
verts. He  still,  however,  avowed  his  be- 
lief in  Christianity  and  his  intention  of  em- 
bracing it,  saying  that  he  was  only  hindered 
from  taking  that  step  by  his  fear  of  more 
powerful  chiefs.  He  desired  the  mission- 
aries to  go  to  some  more  powerful  chief  and 
persuade  him  to  take  the  lead. 


EEWA.  211 

The  missionaries,  anxious  to  extend  their 
efforts,  determined  to  follow  the  king's  ad- 
vice, insincere  as  it  was.  Their  stock  for 
barter  was  so  reduced  that  they  scarcely 
knew  how  they  could  build  houses  and  pro- 
cure food  in  a  new  place;  but  Mr.  Cross, 
notwithstanding  these  difficulties  and  his  ill 
health,  resolved  to  go  to  Mbau. 

This  island  was  fast  becoming  the  centre 
of  political  power, — which  important  position 
it  has  since  occupied.  "  A  seven-years  civil 
war  had  just  passed  its  crisis,"  and  Tanoa, 
the  old  Fijian  king,  had  been  driven  out  of 
his  kingdom.  His  young  son  Seru  was  per- 
mitted to  remain. 

The  character  of  the  young  prince  was 
not  at  all  comprehended  by  the  people ;  but 
there  was  one  old  chief  of  Viwa  who  said 
that  he  would  prove  dangerous,  and  advised 
that  he  should  be  put  to  death.  At  this 
counsel  the  others  merely  laughed,  saying 
they  could  not  imagine  what  evil  a  mere 
boy  like  Seru  could  do. 

Seru  was  in  secret  correspondence  with 
his  father,  who  supplied  him  with  property 


212  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

that  he  distributed  among  the  people.  He 
succeeded  in  winning  over  many,  among 
whom  was  his  most  intimate  friend  Verani, 
the  nephew  of  the  shrewd  Viwa  chief. 

They  laid  their  plans  so  well  that  the 
rebels  were  conquered.  Tanoa  returned ;  and 
a  grand  cannibal  feast  in  honor  of  the  vic- 
tory was  in  full  operation  when  Mr.  Cross 
and  his  family  arrived. 

Seru,  or  Shakombau  (Evil  to  Mbau),  as 
he  was  now  called,  met  them,  and  told  them 
it  would  be  much  better  for  them  to  go  to 
Eewa  for  the  present :  Mbau  was  still  in  a 
state  of  intense  excitement :  the  king  of 
Rewa  would  protect  them  and  give  them 
land,  and  was  willing  to  allow  his  people  to 
lotu,  or,  embrace  Christianity. 

This  advice  was  so  good  that  Mr.  Cross 
took  it. 

Rewa  is  next  in  importance  to  Mbau,  and 
only  twelve  miles  distant.  Here  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Cross  landed  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1838.  They  were  kindly  received,  a  small 
house  was  given  them,  and  they  were  now 
fairly  alone  among  the  cannibals. 


REWA.  213 

They  had  oeen  here  but  a  short  time 
when  Mr.  Cross  was  taken  sick,  first  with 
intermittent  fever,  then  followed  by  cholera; 
and  finally  the  typhus  fever  attacked  him, 
and  he  seemed  to  be  dying.  His  wife  and 
little  children  could  help  him  but  little. 
David  Whippy,  an  American  settled  at 
Ovalau,  heard  of  their  deplorable  condition, 
and  went  to  their  aid.  Mr.  Cross  gradually 
recovered :  the  king  built  him  a  larger  and 
more  comfortable  house,  and  all  began  to 
look  brighter. 

A  chief  and  his  wife  now  became  Chris- 
tians, and  opened  their  house  for  worship, 
which  before  had  been  held  out-of-doors, — 
making  an  agreeable  change.  A  school  was 
next  established.  The  king  was  their  zeal- 
ous protector ;  but,  in  spite  of  his  care,  many 
attempts  were  made  on  Mr.  Cross's  life : 
stones  were  thrown  in  at  him  durina:  church- 
hours,  and  once  they  endeavored  to  burn 
down  the  house. 

If  the  king  could  not  protect  Mr.  CrosS; 
his  Master  could ;  and  he  was  preserved  from 
all  their  malicious  designs. 


214  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Na-mosi-malua,  chief  of  Viwa,  and  the 
same  who  advised  Seru's  death,  was  now  at 
peace  with  Mbau,  and  was  very  desirous  of 
having  a  teacher. 

Mr.  Cross  did  not  know  what  to  do  about  it. 
From  the  chief's  character,  and  from  his  hav- 
ing recently  been  severely  punished,  having 
his  town  burned  down  and  his  crops  spoiled 
by  the  French  for  having  captured  a  French 
brig  and  murdered  the  captain  and  most  of 
the  crew,  Mr.  Cross  feared  that  it  was  but  a 
scheme  of  Na-mosi-malua's  to  revenge  him- 
self on  the  whites. 

But  Tanoa  strongly  advised  it :  the  Viwa 
chief  had  told  him  he  was  going  to  lotu,  for 
he  was  afraid  of  the  Papalangis.  So  Mr. 
Cross  sent  a  native  teacher,  and  Na-mosi- 
malua  built  a  large  chapel,  where  he  and 
many  of  his  people  worshipped.  Thus  Chris- 
tianity stepped  from  island  to  island,  extend- 
ing its  influence  in  this  savage  group. 


SOMO-SOMO.  216 

CHAPTER  IV. 

SOMO-SOMO. 

SoMO-soMO  was  one  of  the  new  stations 
established  in  1839.  It  is  a  town  of  great 
importance,  and  its  king,  with  two  sons  and 
a  number  of  his  people,  had  visited  Lakemba 
soon  after  the  missionaries  went  there,  and 
urged  very  strongly  their  claim  for  a  mis- 
sion station.  The  useful  articles  obtained 
by  the  Lakembans  from  the  mission  house 
gave  these  people  an  undue  advantage,  it 
was  declared,  over  their  more  powerful 
neighbors ;  and  the  king  promised  welcome 
and  attention  to  their  teaching  if  the  mis- 
sionaries only  would  come  to  them.  The 
extensive  influence  of  this  king  and  his  sons, 
and  the  fear  in  which  they  were  held,  in- 
duced the  missionaries  to  promise  to  send 
some  one  to  them ;  and  in  fulfilment  of  that 
agreement  Mr.  Hunt  and  Mr.  Lyth  went  to 
Somo-somo  in  July,  1839. 


216  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

They  soon  found  they  were  to  become 
conversant  with  the  most  horrible  customs 
of  Fiji.  Somo-somo  was  noted  for  its  atro- 
cities, and  particularly  for  its  cannibalism ; 
and  the  missionaries  found  this  reputation 
a  deserved  one.  Although  the  people  had 
been  so  anxious  to  have  them  come,  they 
paid  them  no  attention  after  their  arrival, 
and  seemed  perfectly  indiflPerent  to  their 
teaching.  The  king's  great  house  was  given 
them  as  a  residence,  and  the  people  were 
very  willing  to  bring  fruits  and  vegetables 
for  them  to  buy;  but  further  than  this  little 
heed  was  given  to  them.  Greater  troubles 
soon  came  upon  them. 

When  they  arrived,  they  found  the  people 
expecting  the  return  of  Ka  Mbithi,  the 
king's  youngest  son,  who  had  gone  with  a 
fleet  of  canoes  to  the  windward  islands. 
After  the  missionaries  had  got  all  their 
goods  landed,  and  before  the  vessel  in  which 
they  came  had  left,  tidings  reached  Somo- 
somo  that  Ra  Mbithi  had  been  lost  at  sea. 
The  ill  news  caused  terrible  excitement  in 
the  town,  and,  according  to  custom,  several 


SOMO-SOMO.  217 

women  were  at  once  set  apart  to  be  stran- 
gled. The  missionaries  began  their  work  by- 
pleading  for  the  lives  of  these  wretched  vic- 
tims. The  utmost  they  could  effect  was  to 
get  the  execution  delayed  until  the  schooner 
should  have  gone  to  search  for  the  young 
chief  and  bring  back  further  information. 
The  vessel  returned,  but  not  with  any  more 
favorable  news.  Now  a  greater  number  of 
women  were  condemned ;  and  again  the  mis- 
sionaries pleaded  hard  that  they  might  be 
spared.  The  old  king  was  angry  with  the 
strangers  for  presuming  to  interfere  with 
the  affairs  of  his  people,  and  indignant  at 
the  thought  of  his  favorite  son  dying  with- 
out the  customary  honors.  Once  more,  how- 
ever, the  strangling  was  put  off.  Canoes 
which  had  been  sent  out  to  search  at  last 
returned,  bringing  the  intelligence  that  all 
was  true.  It  was  generally  known,  though 
not  talked  about,  that  Ea  Mbithi  had  drifted 
on  his  wrecked  canoe  to  the  island  of  Ngau, 
where  he  had  been  captured  and  eaten  by 
the  natives.  Kemonstrance  and  entreaty 
were   now  in  vain.     Sixteen  women  were 

19 


218  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

forthwith  strangled  in  honor  of  the  young 
chief  and  his  companions,  and  the  bodies  of 
the  principal  women  were  buried  within  a 
few  yards  of  the  missionaries'  door. 

Such  were  the  scenes  which  met  the  mis- 
sionaries on  the  threshold  of  their  work  at 
Sorao-somo.  Tuithakau,  the  old  king,  was  a 
horrible  cannibal,  but  disposed  to  be  friendly 
to  the  missionaries.  Tuikilakila,  his  son,  was, 
on  the  contrary,  an  open  enemy  to  them.  This 
man  was  tall,  broad,  and  perfectly  black, — a 
true  specimen  of  the  untamed  savage.  He 
was  in  the  habit  of  strolling  through  the 
mission  premises  as  he  pleased;  and  the  two 
ladies,  to  their  intense  annoyance,  often  found 
him  in  their  rooms  arranging  his  toilet. 

The  servants  of  the  missionaries  one  day 
brought  them  the  news  that  two  dead  men 
were  being  brought  from  Lauthala.  They 
hardly  knew  how  to  understand  this;  for 
they  had  been  too  short  a  time  in  Fiji  to 
become  familiar  with  cannibalism.  But 
very  soon  eleven  bodies,  instead  of  two,  were 
brought  and  laid  close  by  the  mission  house 
as  materials  for  a  feast. 


SOMO-SOMO.  219 

The  windows  and  doors  were  tighLy 
closed,  to  exclude  the  disgusting  sight  and 
smell ;  but  Mr.  Hunt,  standing  in  his  yard, 
witnessed  the  horrible  ceremonies. 

After  the  feast  was  over,  Tuikilakila  came 
and  knocked  at  the  door,  and  demanded  of 
Mr.  Hunt,  who  opened  it,  why  the  windows 
were  closed. 

''Because,"  answered  Mr.  Hunt,  ''we  wish 
to  shut  out  your  horrible  wickedness." 

"  If  you  do  so  again,"  replied  the  ferocious 
cannibal,  unmindful  of  the  presence  of  Mrs. 
Hunt  and  Mrs.  Lyth,  "  I'll  knock  you  in  the 
head  and  then  eat  you !" 

From  threats  the  natives  proceeded  to 
attempt  actual  violence.  Tuikilakila  came 
one  day,  club  in  hand,  to  kill  Mr.  Lyth, 
who  had  refused  to  purchase  part  of  a  melon 
from  the  king's  favorite  wife.  Mr.  Lyth 
fled  to  his  bedroom,  while  Mr.  Hunt  talked 
to  the  enraged  chief  till  his  anger  cooled 
down. 

At  last  it  became  evident  that  the  people 
were  preparing  to  put  into  execution  their 
many  threats  ;  and  one  night  the  end  seemed 


220  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

at  hand.  The  missionaries  had  reason  to 
believe  that  the  people  had  gathered  to 
murder  them  and  their  helpless  families. 
In  the  great  gloomy  house  where  the  mis- 
sionaries lived,  with  thick  mosquito-nets 
hung  up  to  prevent  the  natives  from  peeping 
in  through  the  reed  walls,  this  little  band 
betook  themselves  to  prayer.  They  looked 
at  the  death  before  them.  They  saw  beyond 
it,  laid  up  for  them  in  heaven,  crowns  of 
gold,  purchased  by  the  Saviour's  blood.  To 
die  to  them  was  gain,  and  they  were  con- 
tent with  a  martyr's  death.  Although  hus- 
bands and  wives  looked  at  each  other  and 
at  their  little  ones  and  realized  the  horrors 
of  their  situation,  yet  in  this  hour  of 
danger  they  were  ready  on  their  knees  in 
prayer  to  complete  in  death  the  sacrifice 
they  had  begun  by  leaving  homes  and 
country. 

At  midnight,  while  they  were  praying,  a 
wild  shout  rang  through  the  air,  and  each 
head  bent  lower  in  anticipation  of  their 
enemies'  instant  approach.  But  it  proved 
to  be  the  cry  of   their  deliverance.     The 


SOMO-SOMO.  221 

people  had  changed  their  purpose ;  and  the 
cry  they  heard  was  a  call  to  the  women  to 
come  to  a  dance. 

Their  lives  were  now  compai'atively  safe ; 
but  the  daily  trials  they  endured,  and  the 
violent  opposition  they  encountered,  were 
undiminished. 

In  1840,  Captain — now  Admiral — Wilkes, 
of  the  United  States  Navy,  stopped  at  Somo- 
somo.  He  expressed  great  sympathy  for 
the  missionaries,  and  offered  to  take  them 
to  any  part  of  Fiji  whither  they  might  desire 
to  remove ;  but  they  were  unwilling  as  yet 
to  leave  the  work  which  they  had  begun 
in  Somo-somo.  His  admiration  and  respect 
were  greatly  excited  by  the  devotion  and 
faith  of  these  Christians ;  but  he  doubted 
their  success  being  at  all  ''  adequate  to  their 
exertions."  The  report  of  the  missionaries 
at  this  time  alludes,  in  passing,  to  the  trials 
incident  to  their  situation  here ;  it  tells  of 
the  many  strangers  who  while  visiting 
Somo-somo  had  heard  the  gospel,  and  states 
that  Tuikilakila  had  permitted  the  preach- 
ing, but  prevented  any  open  result  from  it 

19* 


222  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

by  threatening  to  kill  the  first  one  who 
should  profess  the  new  religion.  But  the 
first  one  was  his  uncle,  a  chief  of  great  in- 
fluence ;  and  he  dared  not  kill  him.  The 
chief's  motive  was  that  he  might  be  cured 
from  a  dangerous  sickness.  The  medical 
skill  of  the  missionaries  gained  great  credit 
to  their  religion;  for  the  people  thought 
there  must  be  something  in  the  religion 
itself  to  cure  disease. 

Although  their  congregations  were  small 
and  their  converts  few,  the  two  missionaries 
were  not  without  encouragement  to  believe 
that  they  accomplished  some  good.  At  one 
time  Tuikilakila  was  very  sick,  and  all  the 
native  remedies,  the  doctors,  and  the  gods, 
failed  to  do  him  any  good.  Mr.  Lyth,  who 
had  been  educated  as  a  physician,  offered  to 
attend  him,  and  did  so  successfully.  Tui- 
kilakila was  won  by  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Lyth,  and  never  forgot  his  obligations  to 
him. 

The  old  king,  too,  took  a  great  fancy  to 
him,  and  would  often  send  food  to  the  mis- 
sion-house,— expecting,  however,  occasional 


SOMO-SOMO.  223 

gifts  of  knives,  iron  pots,  &c.  Once,  when 
the  old  man  was  ill,  Mr.  Lyth,  in  anxious 
concern  about  his  salvation,  spoke  more 
pointedly  than  before,  declaring  that  the 
gods  of  Somo-somo  were  no  gods,  and  could 
do  him  no  good.  On  being  urged  to  turn 
to  the  true  God,  the  mildness  and  friend- 
ship of  this  ''virtuous  heathen"  forthwith 
vanished,  and,  seizing  the  missionary's  coat, 
he  called  loudly  for  a  club  to  kill  him.  The 
old  chief  was  ill,  but  his  rage  made  him 
dangerous,  and  he  clung  hard ;  but  luckily 
the  garment  was  of  light  material,  and  Mr. 
Lyth,  making  a  spring,  left  his  coat-tail  in 
the  hand  of  Tuithakau,  and,  without  taking 
his  hat,  set  off  home,  where  he  quietly  waited 
until  his  patient's  anger  had  cooled  down. 
And  here  for  the  present  we  leave  Mr. 
Hunt  and  Mr.  Lyth,  patiently  working  on 
amidst  discouragement  and  trial,  yet  seeing 
some  fruit  of  their  labors  in  the  changed 
lives  of  a  few  of  those  around  them. 


226  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

go  to  Viwa.  Mr.  Cross  found  that  Na-mosi- 
malua  had  made  every  preparation  possible 
to  give  him  a  comfortable  home  in  Viwa, 
and  was,  moreover,  ready  to  give  him  every 
assistance  in  his  missionary  work.  Tha- 
kombau,  with  angry  jealousy,  kept  a  strict 
watch  on  all  these  things.  He  hated  the 
chief  and  the  Christian  religion,  and  it 
did  not  please  him  to  see  the  latter  esta- 
blishing itself  upon  an  island  so  near  and 
so  powerful. 

Viwa  and  the  neighboring  islands  were 
visited  by  an  epidemic  a  few  weeks  after 
Mr.  Cross's  arrival.  Tj^akombau  sent  a 
messenger  to  the  chief  of  Viwa  to  say  that 
''the  gods  have  sent  this  sickness  on  you 
and  your  people  because  you  were  unfaith- 
ful to  them.  Throw  away  the  lotu,  and  I 
will  come  and  help  you  rebuild  the  great 
hure  for  the  Viwa  god."  But  Na-mosi- 
malua  answered,  ''Tell  Thakombau  that 
Jehovah  alone  is  God ;  and  Him  alone  I  will 
continue  to  worship." 

Thakombau  had  a  faithful  and  powerful 
friend  in  Viwa,  Verani,  the  nephew  of  Na- 


viwA.  227 

mosi-malua,  and  this  man  was  united  with 
him  in  opposition  to  Christianity.  But  now 
Verani,  seeing  it  firmly  established  in  his 
own  island,  began  to  consider  this  new  re- 
ligion more  carefully;  he  conversed  often 
with  Mr.  Cross  on  the  subject,  and  excited 
hope  in  the  minds  of  the  converts  that  he 
would  himself  embrace  their  faith. 

Thakombau  entreated  Verani  to  be  firm 
in  his  enmity  to  Christianity,  and  promised 
him  his  aid  if  he  would  rebuild  the  temples. 
Verani  was  persuaded  to  remain  a  heathen, 
and  he  rebuilt  the  principal  hure.  But,  al- 
though he  was  outwardly  unconverted,  his 
heart  was  not  satisfied  with  heathenism. 

Mr.  Cross  was  now  living  quite  comfort- 
ably. Tanoa,  the  Mbau  king,  was  still 
friendly,  and  begged  him  to  let  him  know 
whenever  he  wanted  food,  that  he  might 
send  him  some  from  Mbau.  Among  the 
many  visitors  to  the  mission-house,  Tha- 
kombau soon  made  his  appearance,  and  at 
nis  first  visit  stayed  four  hours,  disputing  with 
Mr.  Cross  about  religious  truth.  As  he 
left,  he  declared  that  he  would  never  lotu, — 


228  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

that  is,  embrace  Christianity.  ''  If  you  do 
not,  your  children  will,"  said  Mr.  Cross. 
"  Nay,"  replied  the  other :  "  though  other 
places  may,  I  will  not ;  and  when  I  am  about 
to  die  I  will  tell  my  children  not  to  lotu." 

About  this  time  Mbau  engaged  in  war, 
and  Na-mosi-malua  was  asked  to  help,  but 
refused.  Verani,  with  quite  a  large  number 
of  his  people,  joined  heartily  in  it.  The 
missionary  work  was  now  carried  on  amidst 
the  tumult  a.nd  noise  of  war.  Schools  were 
by  this  time  established,  many  of  the  con- 
verts had  learned  to  read,  and  the  visitors 
constantly  coming  spread  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  religion  far  and  near.  Constant 
applications  were  made  for  teachers,  who 
were  sent  to  as  many  places  as  possible. 
The  chief  wife  of  Verani  was  among  the 
converts,  and  her  husband  gave  her  permis- 
sion to  lotu ;  but  she  refused  to  make  any 
profession  until  he  did. 

During  this  year  a  small  party  of  Viwan 
Christians  were  sailing  close  to  the  shore  of 
the  large  island  of  Viti  Levu,  when  the  out- 
rigger of  their  canoe  broke.     The  people  on 


viWA.  229 

shore,  as  soon  as  tney  saw  the  accident,  ran 
eagerly  to  seize  on  the  canoe  and  cargo,  and 
to  secure  the  crew  for  a  cannibal  feast,  ac- 
cording to  their  custom.  When  they  were 
near  enough  to  see  that  the  canoe  was  from 
Viwa,  revenge  increased  their  eagerness; 
for  only  a  short  time  previous  several  of 
their  friends  had  been  murdered  by  Viwans. 
Hundreds  of  armed  men  assembled  on  the 
reef  near  the  canoe,  which  lay  tossed  about 
in  danger  of  being  capsized  at  any  moment, 
while  the  people  on  board  worked  hard  to 
keep  her  right,  and  prayed  earnestly  to  the 
Almighty  to  save  them  from  the  hands  of 
their  enemies,  who,  with  brandished  weapons, 
cried  out, — 

''  You  are  in  our  power  !  Now  we  will 
kill  you  in  return  for  the  murder  of  our 
friends !" 

A  young  man  of  the  company  cried  to 
them,  "  Kill  us  if  you  wish ;  but  know 
that  we  did  not  kill  your  friends.  Before 
they  were  killed,  we  were  Christians ;  and 
since  that  we  have  left  off  doing  such  evil 
deeds.     It  will  be  better  for  you  not  to  kill 

20 


230  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

US,  but  come  and  help  us  bale  the  water  out 
of  our  canoe."  This  answer  restrained  the 
anger  of  the  heathen,  and  some  of  them  even 
went  out  to  the  canoe,  helped  them  to  bale 
it  out  and  lash  the  outrigger,  so  that  the 
canoe  could  safely  sail  away !  Heathens 
who  heard  of  it  said,  ^'  It  is  Jehovah !  for 
nothing  like  this  was  ever  known  in  Fiji 
before," 

Na-mosi-malua  was  certainly  much 
changed  in  his  outward  life  by  his  new 
religion.  He  was  now  a  remarkably  kind 
and  peaceful  man, — though  his  former  ex- 
cessive craftiness  caused  his  motives  still  to 
be  somewhat  doubted.  He  had  not  been 
admitted  into  the  church ;  for  he  yet  had 
several  wives,  and  it  was  a  rule,  strictly  en- 
forced, that  a  man  professing  Christianity 
should  have  but  one  wife,  and  be  married 
to  her  by  a  religious  service. 

Thakombau  at  last  persuaded  Na-mosi- 
malua  to  assist  him  in  a  war  with  the  town 
of  Mathuata,  which  had  neglected  to  pay 
the  customary  tribute  to  Mbau.  During 
this  war  Na-mosi-malua  manifested  the  mer- 


viwA.  231 

ciful  principles  of  Christianity  in  such  a 
striking  manner  as  to  excite  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  heathen,  and  the  displeasure  of 
Thakombau,  who  exclaimed, — 

"  Christianity  is  powerful.  Because  of  it 
we  cannot  get  any  men  to  eat !" 

And  it  was  remarkable  that  for  several 
months  not  a  single  man  had  been  eaten  at 
Mbau. 

Verani  had  promised  that  when  he  re- 
turned home  from  this  expedition  he  and 
his  wife  would  lotu.  Thakombau's  influence 
over  him  was  so  great,  however,  that  he 
could  not  resolve  to  take  the  step.  When 
he  was  reminded  of  his  promise,  and  of  the 
dangers  through  which  he  had  passed,  he 
said, — 

"  Yes  ;  a  ball  went  through  my  dress,  and 
several  came  very  near  me.  I  prayed  to 
the  true  God  in  my  heart,  and  kept  the 
Sabbath  day  when  I  was  engaged  in  war."  . 

Mr.  Cross  was  carefully  watching  for  an 
opportunity  to  obtain  a  footing  in  Mbau, 
either  for  himself  or  for  a  teacher;  but 
Thakombau's  vigilance  prevented.     At  last 


232  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

an  opening  seemed  to  be  made.  Viekoso,  a 
brother  of  King  Tanoa,  had  become  a  Chris- 
tian at  Viwa,  where  he  had  long  resided ; 
and,  as  he  was  now  about  to  return  to  Mbau, 
a  teacher  was  sent  with  him  to  conduct 
worship  in  his  family  and  try  to  benefit  the 
people.  Thakombau  saw  danger  in  this, 
and,  being  in  reality  the  king,  he  ordered  his 
uncle  to  renounce  his  religion,  and  sent  the 
teacher  from  the  island. 


CHAPTER  VL 

LAKEMBA. 


After  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Hunt  and  his 
companions,  and  the  subsequent  distribution 
of  the  mission  forces,  Mr.  Calvert  was  left 
alone  at  Lakemba.  At  this  station  they 
now  had  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
members  of  the  church,  with  many  more 
on  trial  and  in  the  schools.  They  had  a 
chapel,  which  was  capable  of  holding  five 


LAKEMBA.  233 

hundred  persons.  The  circuit  of  Lakemha 
consisted  of  thirteen  towns  on  Lakemba, 
and  twenty-four  surrounding  islands,  at  dis- 
tances varying  from  eighteen  to  a  hundred 
and  forty  miles. 

Mr.  Calvert  had  been  in  Fiji  only  six 
months,  and  was  not  acquainted  with  the 
people  or  the  language ;  so  that  no  ordinary 
amount  of  energy  and  zeal  was  needed  for 
him  to  carry  on  the  mission  work  alone. 
The  thieving  propensities  of  the  natives 
made  it  difficult  to  keep  clothing,  household 
utensils,  or  articles  of  barter.  Finally,  one 
night  they  cut  a  hole  through  the  reed  wall 
of  the  house  and  stole  fifty  articles  of  wear- 
ing-apparel. They  fortunately  disturbed 
none  of  the  sleeping  inmates ;  for  had  any 
of  them  been  awakened  they  would  have 
been  silenced  by  stones  from  a  pile  of 
stones  the  burglars  had  been  accumulating 
for  use. 

Mr.  Cargill  determined  to  show  the  na- 
tives his  love  for  them,  by  caring  for  their 
bodies  as  well  as  their  souls ;  and  for  this 
end   he   visited    them   frequently   at   their 

20* 


234  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

houses,  and  mingled  much  with  them.  This 
course  of  conduct  soon  brought  about  bene- 
ficial results  at  Lakemba,  as  it  afterwards 
did  everywhere  through  the  islands,  so  that 
soon  Mr.  Cargill  reported, — 

''  We  are  now  free  from  robberies  and  in- 
sult, and  live  in  great  peace :  your  mission- 
aries and  cause  are  respected  by  the  chief 
and  natives :  so  that  the  mission  appears  to 
have  obtained  a  firm  and  permanent  esta- 
blishment here." 

Tui  Nayau  was,  in  the  mean  time,  se- 
cretly opposing  Christianity,  while  Toki,  his 
brother,  was  doing  the  same  openly.  Mr. 
Calvert  suspected  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
went  one  day  to  the  king,  telling  him  that 
he  wished  to  have  an  understanding  with 
him  on  the  subject  of  the  lotu ;  that  two 
persons  at  the  town  of  Nasangkalu  had  re- 
nounced heathenism,  and  others  desired  to 
do  the  same ;  and  he  begged  permission  for 
any  so  disposed  to  be  allowed  to  become 
Christians  without  molestation.  He  assured 
the  king  that,  so  far  from  the  Christians 
failing  in  due  respect,  tribute,  or  labor,  they 


LAKEMBA.  235 

would  be  taught  that  it  was  their  duty  to 
obey  the  laws  in  these  matters. 

Both  of  the  chiefs  said  that  Christianity 
was  "  a  very  good  thing,"  and  promised  that 
the  people  should  be  free  to  worship  God  if 
they  pleased.  Mr.  Calvert  was  cheered  by 
this  success,  and  the  next  day  set  out  for 
Nasangkalu.  On  the  way  he  met  two  women, 
who  told  him  that  they  were  just  returning 
from  the  town,  where  the  chief  had  sent 
them  to  forbid  any  of  the  people  to  become 
Christians,  and  to  order  any  who  should  dis- 
obey him  to  leave  the  town.  Mr.  Calvert 
went  on  his  way,  and  found  the  message  had 
produced  its  effect,  and  none  of  the  people 
would  even  listen  to  him.  One  of  the 
natives,  however,  was  so  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  the  new  religion  that  he  left  the 
town  and  became  a  servant  to  a  Tongan 
near  the  mission- house.  He  profited  so  well 
by  the  instruction  given  him  that  he  was 
afterward  sent  as  a  teacher  to  Vatoa,  near 
Ono,  and  there  labored  faithfully  and  suc- 
cessfully, till  he  closed  a  useful  life  by  a 
happy  death. 


236  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Rev.  Thomas  Williams  and  his  wife  ar- 
rived at  Lakemba  in  July,  1840.  They 
remained  on  this  circuit,  which  was  too  large 
for  one  missionary. 

The  islands  near  Lakemba  were  enlight- 
ened by  the  gospel  at  the  same  time  with 
its  spread  at  Ono.  It  was  everywhere  first 
opposed,  and  then  triumphant  over  heathen- 
ism. At  Oneata,  about  forty  miles  from 
Lakemba,  a  Fijian  teacher  labored  together 
with  two  Tahitians,  already  mentioned,  and 
Mr.  Cross  and  Mr.  Calvert,  while  at  La- 
kemba, paid  frequent  visits  to  them.  The 
results  of  these  efforts  began  to  be  manifest 
in  the  increase  of  conversions,  till  the  ma- 
jority of  the  people  were  Christians. 

Early  in  1842  a  new  chapel  was  built, 
with  great  labor,  and,  as  the  missionaries 
thought,  far  too  large.  But  just  then  the 
King  of  Lakemba  sent  a  message  by  a 
heathen  Oneata  priest,  requesting  that  all 
would  lotu,  as  it  was  not  desirable  for  so 
small  an  island  to  be  divided.  Many  were 
also  waiting  for  this  permission,  and  forth- 
with the  head  chief,  the  priests,  and  remain- 


LAKEMBA.  237 

ing  heathen  of  Oneata  professed  Chris- 
tianity, and  helped  to  finish  the  chapel, 
which  was  now  just  the  right  size  for  the 
whole  of  the  inhabitants  to  assemble  in. 

In  April,  1849,  the  new  chapel  was  opened 
and  filled  with  earnest  worshippers.  These 
Oneata  people  are  very  industrious  and  en- 
terprising. Besides  planting  abundance  of 
food,  and  manufacturing  articles  for  tribute, 
they  have  excelled  their  neighbors  in  com- 
merce, thus  enlarging  their  means  of  com- 
munication with  other  parts  of  the  group, 
whence  they  obtained  various  commodities 
which  were  not  made  among  themselves. 
On  becoming  Christians,  they  spread  dili- 
gently the  knowledge  of  the  gospel  wherever 
they  voyaged :  so  that  in  many  places  they 
were  made  useful. 


238  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ONO. 

The  earnest  pleadings  for  a  missionary's 
visit  to  the  native  church  at  this  island  were 
a  source  of  great  anxiety  to  Mr.  Calvert, 
who  was  laboring  alone  at  Lakemba.  Al- 
ready he  had  twenty  islands  under  his  care. 
The  voyage  occupied  weeks,  sometimes 
months,  even  in  a  good  canoe, — which  was 
hard  to  procure.  More  than  all  this,  he 
had  a  wife  and  child,  who  must  be  left  alone 
and  unprotected  among  this  ferocious  and 
savage  people. 

Appalled  by  these  dangers  and  difficulties, 
Mr.  Calvert  faltered.  Then  his  wife  spoke 
with  the  courage  of  a  Christian  heroine. 
She  had  come  to  Fiji  to  be  a  helpmeet,  not 
a  hindrance,  to  her  husband.  She  also  had 
come  to  work  for  God,  and  she  knew  he 
would  protect  her  and  her  child.     There- 


ONO.  239 

fore  she  said  to  him,  ''Do  you  intend  to 
go?"  "How  can  I?"  he  replied.  "Why 
not?"  she  calmly  asked.  "  How  can  I  leave 
you  alone  ?"  "  It  would  be  much  better," 
replied  the  noble  woman,  "  to  leave  me  alone 
than  to  neglect  so  many  people.  If  you  can 
arrange  for  the  work  to  be  carried  on  here, 
you  ought  to  go."  It  was  enough.  Mr. 
Calvert  resolved  to  go.  Fresh  news  from 
the  islands  made  the  case  more  urgent.  At 
Ono,  as  at  Vatoa,  the  Christian  religion  w^as 
progressing,  but  at  Ono  sad  events  had  oc- 
curred. Elated  by  his  new  position,  the  head 
teacher  grew  careless  in  the  performance  of 
his  duties,  and  finally  fell  into  open  sin. 
This  state  of  things  made  a  visit  from  a 
missionary  still  more  desirable;  and,  happily, 
just  at  this  time  a  large  canoe  from  Tonga 
arrived  at  Lakemba.  It  was  commanded 
by  a  brother-in-law  of  King  George;  and 
arrangements  were  easily  made  with  him  to 
take  Mr.  Calvert  to  Ono. 

They  first  visited  Vatoa,  where  they  found 
things  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The 
teacher  had  been  there  five  weeks,  laboring 


240  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

industriously,  and  witli  such  success  that 
Mr.  Calvert  found  the  chief  could  read  better 
than  his  instructor. 

This  chief  had  several  wives ;  but  he  se- 
lected the  oldest  one,  the  mother  of  bis 
children,  and  was  married  to  her  by  Mr. 
Calvert,  who  during  his  visit  married 
twelve  couples  and  baptized  two  persons. 
The  Wesleyan  Methodist  Missionary  Society 
instructed  their  missionaries  not  to  admit 
as  a  member  of  a  church,  even  on  trial,  any 
one  who  had  more  than  one  wife.  They  ad- 
hered strictly  to  this  rule,  and  found  that 
the  difficulties  involved  in  it  yielded  to  the 
firm  enforcement  of  right  principle.  House- 
holds once  turbulent  and  noisy  became 
peaceful  and  quiet.  The  discarded  wives 
were  provided  for,  and  the  people  generally 
were  very  willing  to  conform  to  the  Chris- 
tian rule. 

Mr.  Calvert  hastened  on  to  Ono,  where  he 
found  that  the  accounts  he  had  heard  of  the 
wonderful  work  accomplished  had  not  been 
exaggerated.     There  was  cheering  evidence 


ONO.  241 

that  many  had  "  received   the   Spirit"  and 
were  leading  consistent  Christian  lives. 

Many  came  eagerly  to  Mr.  Calvert  to  be 
baptized  and  married.  He  baptized  two 
hundred  and  thirty- three  persons  and  mar- 
ried sixty-six  couples.  He  found  also  several 
young  men  anxious  to  be  educated  for  teach- 
ers, to  go  to  other  parts  of  Fiji. 

With  all  this  encouragement,  Mr.  Calvert 
found  much  opposition  on  the  part  of  the 
many  heathen  on  the  island,  who  were  angry 
and  alarmed  at  the  progress  of  the  new  re- 
ligion. Their  ill  will  at  last  grew  so  strong 
that  it  was  feared  there  would  be  war  before 
Mr.  Calvert  left  the  island.  Among  the 
causes  of  this  opposition  was  the  fact  that 
one  of  the  Christians,  among  several  wives 
whom  he  discarded,  put  away  one  who  was 
related  to  a  heathen  of  great  self-importance. 
This  man  regarded  it  as  a  personal  insult,, 
and  took  up  the  matter  very  warmly.  Mr. 
Calvert  succeeded,  however,  in  arranging 
affairs  so  that  no  actual  rupture  occurred 
between  the  parties. 

But  out  of  an  event  which  took  place  at 


242  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

this  time  arose  a  war  between  Ono  and  La- 
kemba,  involving  the  Christian  as  well  as 
heathen  inhabitants.  A  young  girl  was  con- 
verted and  baptized  who  had  been  betrothed 
to  the  old  heathen  king  of  Lakemba,  who 
already  had  thirty  wives.  After  her  con- 
version she  refused  to  become  his  wife :  he 
resented  her  refusal,  and  undertook  to  com- 
pel her  compliance  with  her  engagement. 
This  was  the  ground  of  a  war,  which  was 
conducted  with  spirit  and  determination  on 
both  sides.  The  Ono  people  stood  very  firm 
in  their  adherence  to  the  right,  and  their 
firmness  encouraged  Christians  in  other 
places.  The  cause  of  the  true  religion  pros- 
pered amidst  all  these  apparent  obstacles  to 
its  progress.  The  king  did  not  succeed  in 
his  purpose,  and  peace  was,  after  a  time, 
made. 

During  the  war  the  Christians  and  the 
heathen  had  been  very  harmonious  in  Ono, 
but  after  its  conclusion  the  old  enmity  of 
the  latter  to  the  former  began  to  show  itself 
in  reviling  and  persecution.  The  patient 
endurance  of  this  on  the  part  of  the  Chris- 


ONO.  243 

tians  had  in  time  its  usual  effect  of  con- 
ciliating and  softening  their  enemies.     Be- 
fore long  they  ceased  their  opposition,  and 
■  sought  to  know  more  of  Christianity. 

Not  long  after  peace  had  been  concluded, 
Mr.  Waterhouse,  the  general  superintendent 
of  the  missions,  with  several  of  the  mission- 
aries, visited  Ono.  The  people  were  expect- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  ship,  and  awaited  it 
at  the  chief  town. 

Mr.  Waterhouse  found  all  the  chiefs  seated 
under  wide-spreading  trees,  waiting  for 
them.  He  then  addressed  them  in  the  open 
air,  as  none  of  the  chapels  would  have  held 
the  people.  After  service  he  made  inquiries 
into  the  war,  its  causes,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  conducted.  He  was  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  Christian  party  had 
shown  remarkable  forbearance  and  mildness 
in  their  behavior.  Many  of  the  heathen 
were  induced  to  receive  Christianity,  to  see 
what  was  the  secret  of  the  extraordinary 
power  it  had  over  their  neighbors  and 
friends. 

This  visit  had  been  a  memorable  one  t) 


242  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

this  time  arose  a  war  between  Ono  and  La- 
kemba,  involving  the  Christian  as  well  as 
heathen  inhabitants.  A  young  girl  was  con- 
verted and  baptized  who  had  been  betrothed 
to  the  old  heathen  king  of  Lakemba,  who 
already  had  thirty  wives.  After  her  con- 
version she  refused  to  become  his  wife :  he 
resented  her  refusal,  and  undertook  to  com- 
pel her  compliance  with  her  engagement. 
This  was  the  ground  of  a  war,  which  was 
conducted  with  spirit  and  determination  on 
both  sides.  The  Ono  people  stood  very  firm 
in  their  adherence  to  the  right,  and  their 
firmness  encouraged  Christians  in  other 
places.  The  cause  of  the  true  religion  pros- 
pered amidst  all  these  apparent  obstacles  to 
its  progress.  The  king  did  not  succeed  in 
his  purpose,  and  peace  was,  after  a  time, 
made. 

During  the  war  the  Christians  and  the 
heathen  had  been  very  harmonious  in  Ono, 
but  after  its  conclusion  the  old  enmity  of 
the  latter  to  the  former  began  to  show  itself 
in  reviling  and  persecution.  The  patient 
endurance  of  this  on  the  part  of  the  Chris- 


ONO.  243 

tians  had  in  time  its  usual  effect  of  con- 
ciliating and  softening  their  enemies.  Be- 
fore long  they  ceased  their  opposition,  and 
sought  to  know  more  of  Christianity. 

Not  long  after  peace  had  been  concluded, 
Mr.  Waterhouse,  the  general  superintendent 
of  the  missions,  with  several  of  the  mission- 
aries, visited  Ono.  The  people  were  expect- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  ship,  and  awaited  it 
at  the  chief  town. 

Mr.  Waterhouse  found  all  the  chiefs  seated 
under  wide-spreading  trees,  waiting  for 
them.  He  then  addressed  them  in  the  open 
air,  as  none  of  the  chapels  would  have  held 
the  people.  After  service  he  made  inquiries 
into  the  war,  its  causes,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  was  conducted.  He  was  led  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  Christian  party  had 
shown  remarkable  forbearance  and  mildness 
in  their  behavior.  Many  of  the  heathen 
were  induced  to  receive  Christianity,  to  see 
what  was  the  secret  of  the  extraordinary 
power  it  had  over  their  neighbors  and 
friends. 

This  visit  had  been  a  memorable  one  t) 


244  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

the  islanders,  and  had  increased  their  desire 
to  have  a  missionary  living  among  them. 
But  the  number  of  missionaries  was  too 
small  to  enable  them  to  spare  one  for  this 
distant  island.  They  resolved,  however,  to 
send  them  a  teacher,  Silas  Faone,  a  Tongan 
of  zeal  and  piety,  who  had  labored  success- 
fully elsewhere. 

The  following  year — 1842 — Mr.  Williams 
visited  Vatoa  and  Ono.  At  Vatoa  he  found 
the  little  church  prospering;  and  he  thus 
writes  from  Ono  : — "  The  people  here  wept 
for  joy  when  they  beheld  me  accompanied 
by  my  noble  friend  Silas  Faone,  who  is  to 
take  the  superintendency  of  our  work  here. 
The  women  new-matted  the  chapel,  and  the 
men  were  engaged  in  making  us  a  feast.  I 
had  not  been  long  on  the  island  before  I  was 
informed  that  the  people  waited  for  m^e  to 
ask  a  blessing  on  the  food  which  they  had 
brought  and  arranged  neatly  before  my 
door,  comprising  twenty-five  baked  pigs, 
two  turtles,  with  fish,  native  puddings,  two 
hundred  bunches  of  ripe  bananas,  and  hun- 
dreds of  yams  and  cocoanuts, — abundantly 


ONO.  245 

testifying  that  the  people  did  not  love  in 
word  only.  Some  time  after  they  brought 
me  a  fine  mat,  as  a  present;  and  a  bundle  of 
native  cloth,  as  an  expression  of  their  love, 
was  given  to  their  new  teacher.  During 
my  stay  I  was  fully  employed  amongsi 
them." 

Mr.  Williams  baptized  nearly  two  hundred 
persons,  and  found  a  church- membership  of 
three  hundred,  many  of  them  of  undoubted 
Christian  faith  and  life.  The  change  in  them 
seemed  almost  miraculous,  and  could  be  ex- 
plained by  nothing  but  the  power  of  God 
manifested  in  them. 

A  heathen  chief  from  Mbau,  who  had  set 
out  with  the  purpose  of  going  to  Tonga,  had 
lately  drifted  to  Ono,  where  he  stayed  some 
weeks.  Instead  of  being  killed  and  eaten 
with  his  crew,  in  Fiji  fashion,  he  was  sur- 
prised at  receiving  the  utmost  kindness  and 
hospitality.  After  having  had  a  full  oppor- 
tunity of  watching  the  Christians,  he  said, 
on  his  arrival  at  Lakemba,  ''I  now  know 
that  Christianity  is  true  and  good.  I  wish 
to  become  a  Christian, — which  I  shall  do 

21* 


246  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

before  long ;  and,  when  I  do,  I  shall  abandon 
all  my  old  ways.  Fijians  will  be  in  earnest 
when  they  embrace  religion." 

There  remained  an  important  point,  upon 
which  the  effect  of  Christianity  was  yet  to 
be  seen.  This  was  the  matter  of  tribute  to 
the  chiefs.  These  latter  were  much  afraid 
that  the  lotu  would  render  the  people  inde- 
pendent of  their  claims.  The  time  for  pay- 
ing tribute  came.  Ono  was  the  only  place 
of  importance  where  the  new  religion  pre- 
vailed universally ;  and  upon  it  the  eyes  of 
all  parties  were  anxiously  fixed.  The  people 
paid  their  tribute  cheerfully,  and  thus  ac- 
knowledged subjection  to  the  authority  of 
their  government.  This  produced  an  im- 
pression in  favor  of  Christianity  through  all 
the  islands. 

They  now  had  their  two  Tongan  teachers, 
together  with  several  natives.  They  read 
eagerly  and  intelligently  the  books  furnished 
by  the  printing-press. 

In  October,  1845,  Ono  was  again  visited 
by  a  missionary,  who  was  gladdened  by 
tidings  of  a  great  work  of  good  which  had 


ONO.  247 

been  going  on  there.  One  Sunday,  while 
the  service  at  the  adjacent  island  of  Ndoi 
was  being  conducted  by  Nathan  Thataki,  the 
people  began  to  weep  aloud.  The  preacher 
was  much  affected,  and  sank  down,  unable 
to  proceed,  A  note  was  sent  across  to  Ono 
to  the  head  teacher,  Silas,  who  immediately 
came,  and  again  assembled  the  people  for 
service;  but  the  emotion  and  excitement 
were  so  great  that  he  was  not  able  to  preach. 
They  then  prayed  together,  and,  as  in  the 
olden  time,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  them 
in  great  power.  Silas  begged  the  people  to 
go  with  him  to  Ono,  and  they  crossed  over, 
dividing  themselves  into  parties  for  the  dif- 
ferent chapels  where  prayer-meetings  were 
held.  The  holy  influence  now  spread  on  all 
hands.  Old  and  young  became  alarmed  and 
earnest  about  their  souls.  In  a  few  weeks, 
about  two  hundred  persons  showed  good 
signs  of  having  been  .  truly  saved.  Great 
was  the  joy  of  these  new  converts,  and  whole 
nights,  as  well  as  days,  were  spent  in  praise 
and  prayer.  Several  said  they  should  like 
to  die  soon,  lest  they  should  sin  again ;  and 


248  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

many  offered  to  go  to  the  most  dangerous 
parts  of  Fiji,  to  tell  about  the  salvation 
which  had  made  them  so  happy. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

EEWA. 


In  the  year  1840,  that  important  agent, 
the  printing-press,  was  removed  from  La- 
kemba  to  Rewa.  Mr.  Cargill  and  Mr. 
Jagger  arrived  with  it  in  July.  The  work 
of  teaching  had  been  begun  by  Messrs. 
Cross  and  Hunt;  but  the  first  had  now 
removed  to  Viwa,  the  latter  to  Somo- 
somo. 

The  new-comers  were  met,  on  their  arrival, 
by  Christians  and  heathens, — the  former  bent 
on  welcoming,  the  other  on  robbing  them. 
Some  of  the  cases  containing  goods  were 
opened  on  board  of  the  canoes  in  their  pass- 
age from  the  vessel  to  the  snore,  and  their 
contents  stolen.    One  of  these  robberies  was 


KEWA.  249 

committed  in  the  presence  of  the  missionary. 
Two  chiefs  who  were  on  board  left  the  canoe 
a  short  distance  from  the  proper  landing- 
place,  and  went  into  the  low  bush,  where 
they  ordered  a  certain  case  to  be  brought 
to  them.  The  missionary  was  then  standing 
on  it.  They  supposed,  from  its  weight,  that 
it  must  contain  hatchets.  With  much  toil 
they  finally  broke  it  open  where  it  stood  ; 
but  instead  of  hatchets  they  found  only  part 
of  the  printing-press.  Disappointed  in  this, 
they  ordered  a  larger  and  lighter  box  to  be 
brought  to  them.  The  canoe  was  then  per- 
mitted to  go  on  its  way.  The  king  was  im- 
mediately informed  of  this  bold  robbery, 
and  was  very  angry.  The  same  evening  the 
box  was  returned  to  the  owners, — showing 
that  the  king  had  been  prompt  in  his  action. 
The  missionaries  found  in  him  a  friend  and 
protector  of  Christianity,  though  he  was  still 
a  heathen.  His  brother,  Ratu  I^ggara-ni- 
nggio;— ''  Cave  of  a  sAar/^,"— joined  heartily 
with  the  chiefs  and  priests  in  their  opposi- 
tion to  and  persecution  of  the  Christians. 
The    missionaries   found   a   small   house 


250  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

ready  for  them,  but  no  chapel.  They  held 
service  with  the  little  company  of  converts 
in  the  open  air,  but  were  often  interrupted 
by  the  stones  with  which  Eatu's  party  pelted 
them.  One  of  the  native  Christians  opened 
his  dwelling  for  worship;  but  his  goods  were 
taken  from  him,  and  he  was  threatened  with 
death  if  he  persisted.  Then  application  was 
made  to  the  king  for  permission  to  build  a 
chapel.  He  not  only  granted  this,  but  gave 
them  ground  near  the  mission  premises. 

When  Ratu  heard  of  this,  he  was  exceed- 
ingly angry,  and  vowed  that  he  would  kill 
any  man  who  dared  to  help  in  building  the 
chapel.  He  might  have  wrought  much  mis- 
chief in  his  anger ;  but  the  king  and  the 
missionaries  thought  it  would  be  the  part  of 
wisdom  to  defer  the  building  for  the  present. 

Trouble  soon  came  to  them  in  another 
form.  In  September  a  violent  type  of  in- 
fluenza made  its  first  appearance  in  Rewa. 

The  people  were  much  terrified,  and  very 
generally  attributed  it  to  the  mission  families, 
some  declaring  that  they  had  brought  it 
from  England  with  them,  while  others  re- 


REWA.  251 

garded  it  as  a  punishment  from  the  God 
they  worshipped. 

The  missionaries  were  diligent  and  suc- 
cessful in  their  care  and  attention  to  the 
sick,  thereby  proving  to  them  the  sincerity 
of  their  interest  in  them. 

In  October  Eatu  resolved  that  he  would 
put  an  end  to  the  new  religion  at  once.  With 
two  companions  he  waited  by  the  river  for 
the  return  of  the  missionaries  to  the  mission- 
house.  Their  intention  was  to  shoot  the  two 
hated  teachers  down  as  they  crossed.  After 
waiting  for  some  time,  they  concluded  not  to 
shoot  the  missionaries,  but  to  wait  for  the 
.Tongans.  Thus  the  two  men  of  God  passed 
safely  by.  The  Tongans  did  not  come ;  but, 
late  at  night,  as  the  chief  and  his  two  com- 
panions passed  by  the  place  where  the  Chris- 
tians were  holding  worship,  they  stopped  and 
fired  their  muskets  into  the  window.  Again 
God  protected  his  people,  and  no  one  was 
hurt. 

Ratu  did  not  cease  his  efforts  to  incite  the 
people  to  the  persecution  of  the  Christians. 
A  fire   l)roke   out   near   the   mission    pre- 


252  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

mises,  and,  eager  for  plunder,  the  natives 
came  in  crowds,  Batu  among  them.  His 
brother,  Thokonatu,  or  PhilHps,  was  more 
friendly  to  the  missionaries,  and  protected 
their  houses  from  the  fire  and  from  the 
rapacious  people.  The  next  attempt  was  to 
break  up  the  congregation  when  at  worship, 
by  pelting  them  with  stones;  but  this  too 
failed,  as  no  one  was  hurt,  and  no  one  moved 
until  the  service  was  over.  Their  dangers, 
which  became  more  frequent,  kept  the  mission 
families  in  alarm ;  nor  were  they  reassured 
when,  on  the  31st,  they  were  awakened  by 
strange  noises  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
On  running  out,  they  saw,  for  the  first  time, 
the  horrid  sight  of  the  dragging  of  human 
bodies,  seventeen  of  which  were  just  being 
handed  out  of  a  canoe,  having  been  sent 
from  Mbau  as  the  Rewa  share  of  two 
hundred  and  sixty  persons  killed  in  the 
Backing  of  towns  belonging  to  Verata. 

The  mission  station  had  now  become  the 
centre  of  a  small  settlement;  for  several 
Tongans  had  built  houses  near,  one  of  which 
was  used  as  a  place  of  worship.     Some  few 


REWA.  253 

Rewans  also  dared  to  come  out  from  amonc' 

o 

the  heathen  and  make  their  home  near  the 
missionaries,  to  whose  teaching  they  grate- 
fully listened;  while  others  who  were  sick 
came  to  live  across  the  river,  that  they  might 
get  the  benefit  of  medical  care.  Joel  Bulu, 
a  Tongan  teacher  who  had  been  brought 
from  Lakemba  to  help  in  printing,  gave  the 
little  settlement  the  name  of  Zoar.  "  For," 
said  he,  "at  the  heathen  places  the  people 
are  diseased,  and  they  cannot  cure  them ; 
their  souls  are  sinful,  and  they  cannot  save 
them ;  but  when  they  come  here  they  get  a 
cure  for  body  and  soul;  their  bodies  are 
generally  healed,  and,  receiving  instruction, 
they  believe  in  God,  and  their  souls  live 
thereby.  Therefore  this  place  is  a  true 
Zoar." 

Early  in  1840,  a  terrible  storm  visited 
the  island,  destroying  much  property  and 
deluging  the  houses  of  the  common  peo- 
ple. The  missionaries  and  their  families 
took  refuge  in  a  single  apartment  of  one  of 
the  mission  houses,  which  was  on  a  raised 
foundation;  but  the  king  sent  to  offer  them 

22 


254  THE  CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

a  safe  residence  in  case  the  mission  house 
should  fall. 

Among  other  devastation  caused  by  this 
unusually  heavy  storm,  a  yam-bed  belonging 
to  the  king  was  much  injured.  He  there- 
fore ordered  the  yams  to  be  dug  up,  and 
taken  as  a  token  of  his  love  to  the  mission- 
aries. This  caused  great  surprise  among 
his  people,  who  remonstrated  with  him  for 
taking  up  the  yams  before  the  time  and 
before  the  offering  of  the  first-fruits  to  the 
gods.  The  king,  however,  was  resolute, 
saying,  ''The  gods  of  Fiji  are  false  and 
weak ;  and,  as  they  have  not  prevented  the 
earth  from  being  washed  away  from  my 
yams,  I  will  not  present  these  yams  to  them, 
but  to  the  ambassadors  of  the  true  God." 
Yet  the  king  was  not  ready  to  give  up  en- 
tirely the  service  of  these  impotent  gods  for 
that  of  the  one  true  God. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  however,  the  little  band 
of  Christians  increased  in  numbers  and  in 
strength.  A  Rewa  chief  at  last  publicly 
renounced  his  old  religion  to  become  a 
Christian. 


KEWA.  255 

About  this  time  Captain  Hudson,  of  the 
United  States  Exploring  Expedition,  called 
at  Rewa.  He  was  of  much  service  to  the 
mission,  by  the  decided  influence  which  he 
exerted  on  behalf  of  religion  through  his 
words  and  conduct. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1840,  overcome  by 
her  recent  alarms  and  exhausted  by  her 
arduous  duties,  Mrs.  Cargill  died.  Her  fel- 
low-laborers felt  most  keenly  the  loss  of  her 
zealous  aid  in  their  great  work,  and  the 
example  of  her  gentle  piety.  The  energies 
of  her  life  were  given  to  this  work  for  six 
years ;  and  she  died  urging  those  around  her 
to  more  earnest  ze?J  in  the  missionary  cause. 
Among  the  people  her  very  lovely  character 
had  influenced  their  opinion  of  her  religion 
in  the  most  favorable  manner;  and  they  yet 
remember  and  speak  of  her  with  much  love. 
She  requested  that  her  children  should  be 
taken  to  England  to  be  educated,  Mr. 
Hunt  went  directly  to  Mr.  Cargill  as  soon 
as  he  heard  of  his  bereavement,  and  urged 
him  to  come  to  Somo-somo;  but  Mr.  Cargill 
knew  that  it  was  best  to  remove  his  mother- 


256  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

less  children  from  Fiji,  and  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible he  sailed  for  the  colonies. 

Mr.  Jagger  was  now  left  alone  at  E-ewa. 
His  circuit  was  large,  and  the  management 
of  the  printing-press — from  which  the  sta- 
tion was  supplied  with  books — depended 
upon  him.  He  had,  however,  efficient  help 
in  the  Tongan  teachers.  As  a  physician  he 
was  renowned  among  the  natives.  Some- 
times he  had  three  or  four  sick  priests  under 
his  care,  who  came  to  him  for  aid  after  their 
gods  had  failed  them.  Many  of  his  patients 
received  spiritual  as  well  as  physical  healing. 

A  young  and  influential  Mbau  chief,  named 
Matanambamba,  had  been  living  for  some 
time  in  Rewa.  His  father  was  killed  when 
Thakombau  took  Mbau  and  thus  crushed 
the  revolt  in  which  he  had  been  a  leader. 
The  young  man  at  that  time  fled  to  Kewa, 
and  there  waited  to  revenge  his  father's 
death.  He  hated  the  religion  which  enjoins 
forgiveness  of  enemies,  and  heartily  assisted 
Ratu  Nggara  in  his  persecution  of  the 
Christians.  After  some  months  he  became 
ill,  and  neither  Fijian  treatment  nor  Fijian 


REWA.  257 

gods  did  him  any  good.  Terrible  dreams 
afflicted  him,  in  which  he  thought  that  he 
was  being  punished  by  the  missionaries'  God 
for  his  persecution  of  them  and  his  attempts 
to  kill  them.  At  last,  greatly  humbled,  he 
came  to  the  mission  station.  Mr.  Jagger 
attended  him  medically,  his  own  friends  sup- 
plying him  with  food. 

He  was  now  under  direct  Christian  in- 
fluence, in  daily  attendance  on  family  wor- 
ship ;  and,  fearing  greatly  lest  he  was  going 
to  die,  his  heart  became  softened  in  genuine 
contrition  for  his  sins.  He  was  told  to  pray 
for  mercy.  He  asked  to  be  taught  suitable 
words;  ''for,"  said  he,  ''great  is  my  desire 
to  pray  to  God,  but  I  know  not  what  word? 
to  take  up." 

He  went  to  see  a  poor  man,  named  Savea, 
who  had  been  cured  of  a  loathsome  disease 
and  had  become  a  Christian.  Savea  said, 
"I  was  friendless,  forsaken,  destitute,  and 
treated  as  a  dog ;  but  I  fled  to  the  servants 
of  God,  swallowed  much  medicine,  and  trusted 
in  the  Lord.     When  it  was  night,  I  prayed, 

22* 


258  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

when  morning  came,  I  prayed;  and  by  doing 
this  I  got  well." 

The  young  chief  would  once  have  scorned 
to  associate  with  one  of  such  low  rank  as 
Savea;  now  he  said  to  him,  ''From  this 
time  we  will  be  friends." 

Matanambamba  recovered,  and  was  led 
to  trust  in  Christ  for  the  forgiveness  of  his 
sins.  He  learned  to  read  and  write,  and 
was  earnest  in  his  efforts  to  lead  others  to 
Christ. 

Katu  Nggara  was  banished  from  Eewa 
for  a  great  offence  of  which  he  had  been 
guilty.  After  an  absence  of  some  time,  he 
returned.  The  king  was  not  reconciled  to 
him;  and,  from  Batu's  character  and  in- 
fluence, a  civil  war  was  feared.  Mr.  Water- 
house  was  then  visiting  the  islands ;  and  he 
presented  whales'  teeth  to  the  king,  with 
an  entreaty  that  Ratu  might  be  forgiven. 

The  offering  was  favorably  received,  but 
the  king  would  not  consent  to  full  forgive- 
ness of  his  brother.  Tanoa  of  Mbau  made 
a  similar  application  to  the  king,  which  was 
disregarded.     The  priest  who  bore  Tanoa' s 


REWA.  259 

message  was  indignant  at  this,  and  abused 
■the  king  for  showing  more  favor  to  the 
strangers  from  a  foreign  land.  To  this  the 
king  replied,  ''  I  know  that  they  are  come 
out  of  love  to  me,  and  that  their  words  are 
tnie.  They  speak  like  friends,  and  desire 
good.  They  do  not  come  here  to  tempt. 
They  wish  this  land  to  be  prospered.  No 
evil  arises  from  their  purposes.  We  are 
enriched  by  the  property  they  bring."  The 
god  in  the  priest  answered,  "  It  is  not  good. 
How  is  it  that  you  do  not  accept  the  offering 
that  I  bring?"  ''Because,"  said  the  king, 
*'  the  speech  of  the  Fijians  is  contrary.  You 
say  it  is  good  not  to  war ;  and  then  you  will 
go  to  my  brother  and  tell  him  that  it  is  good 
to  fight.  If  you  say  one  thing  to  me,  you 
will  say  quite  otherwise  at  Mbau." 

The  king  yielded  at  last  to  the  solicitations 
of  the  Rewa  chiefs  and  the  missionaries,  and 
was  reconciled  to  his  brother,  who  was  much 
more  kindly  disposed  towards  the  mission- 
aries in  consequence  of  their  efforts  in  his 
behalf. 

Eighteen  adults  and  six  children  were,  m 


260  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

the  autumn  of  this  year,  baptized,  and  the 
spread  of  true  spiritual  religion  was  most 
manifest  and  cheering.  The  schools  also 
prospered,  and  the  diligence  of  the  scholars 
increased  as  the  supply  of  books  became 
larger. 

A  Tongan,  whose  life  had  been  spent  in 
Fiji,  where  he  had  grown  up  a  heathen,  in 
the  closest  intimacy  with  the  chiefs  and 
people  of  Rewa,  became  truly  converted,  and 
received  at  baptism  the  name  of  Job.  He 
soon  learned  to  read  and  write,  and  was 
zealous  in  trying  to  do  good.  He  had  fre- 
quent opportunities  of  talking  with  large 
parties  at  the  king's  house.  One  day,  in 
order  to  bring  about  a  conversation,  the 
king  complained  about  Job's  planting,  say- 
ing that  there  was  no  need  for  Christian 
people  to  do  that.  Job,  in  contending  for 
the  necessity  of  industry,  referred  to  the 
Bible.  "Oh!"  said  the  king,  ''how  should 
you  know  any  thing  about  books  ?  You  have 
never  come  from  Tonga  or  England,  but  have 
dwelt  in  Fiji  all  your  life."  ''  That's  true," 
rejoined  Job;  "but  I  can  read  a  little,  and 


REWA.  261 

thus  I  know  something.  Other  chiefs  said, 
"  It's  a  strange  thing  that  when  a  man  joins 
the  lotu  he  becomes  wise  quickly,  and  con- 
tends that  the  lotu  is  quite  true,  and  Jehovah 
the  only  God.  How  is  it  ?"  The  king  said, 
''  They  read,  and  thus  know ;  or  else  they 
ask  the  missionaries."  ^'But  how  is  it  that 
they  do  not  fear  us?"  asked  one  of  the  chiefs. 
"Oh,"  replied  the  king,  ''they  do  not  fear 
to  die;  they  give  themselves  up  to  their 
God;  and  life  or  death  is  good  to  them. 
But  this  is  not  the  case  with  us.  When  we 
are  sick,  we  ask  where  we  shall  go  that  we 
may  live.  We  then  run  to  one  place  and 
to  another,  that  we  may  get  strong.  But 
these  lotu  people  act  otherwise." 

On  another  occasion  the  king  said,  with 
great  emphasis,  "The  lotu  makes  all  our 
land  to  move !" 

The  king  was  right.  That  gospel  which 
had  "turned  the  world  upside  down  had 
come  hither  also,"  and  already  its  power 
was  felt.  It  was  no  small  victory  gained 
when  that  mission  church  numbered  its  few 
first  converts.     They  needed  sincerity  and 


262  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

firmness  to  enable  them  to  come  out  from 
^,11  that  they  had  ever  deemed  most  sacred 
and  binding,  and  which  their  fellow-country- 
men still  regarded  as  such.  Every  form  of 
opposition,  from  derision  to  the  harshest  per- 
secution, withstood  these  early  confessors; 
but  they  kept  firm,  and  when  others  saw 
that  these,  who  had  been  men  of  blood  and 
lust  and  lawlessness,  had  become  men  of 
peace  and  purity,  and  remained  so,  they 
greatly  wondered. 

A  mission  station  which  had  been  esta- 
blished at  Kandavu — an  island  under  the 
power  of  Kewa — with  an  encouraging  pros- 
pect of  success,  had  to  be  abandoned  at  this 
time,  Batu  Nggara  having  warned  the  Chris- 
tian teachers  to  leave  the  place  if  they  cared 
for  their  lives. 

Other  discouragements  tried  the  soul  of 
the  solitary  missionary  in  Rewa.  Bodies 
were  frequently  brought  opposite  the  mission 
premises,  and  cooked  and  eaten  with  fiendish 
rejoicings.  A  Christian  woman  was  killed 
while  fishing,  to  feast  the  people  employed 
in  building  the  king's  house ;  and  only  the 


EEWA.  263 

courage  and  prompt  action  of  Mr.  Jagger 
rescued  the  body  from  this  sacrilege. 

At  Suva  also  things  had  lost  their  cheer- 
ing aspect.  The  town  was  engaged  in  con- 
tinual war  with  the  Eewans.  The  teacher 
feared  to  remain,  as  the  town  was  in  constant 
danger  of  being  burnt, — which  catastrophe 
came  at  last,  in  1843,  when  about  one  hun- 
dred persons  were  killed,  and  most  of  them 
eaten. 

At  the  mission  house  there  was  family- 
sorrow  in  addition  to  the  trouble  caused 
by  these  events.  Two  of  the  missionary's 
children  had  died,  and  he  himself  had  a  very 
severe  attack  of  illness.  On  his  recovery, 
much  time  had  to  be  given  to  the  re-thatch- 
ing of  the  house.  The  workmen  employed 
were  idle,  incompetent,  and  arrant  thieves. 
Thus,  the  work  was  badly  done,  and,  in  spite 
of  the  utmost  vigilance,  many  things  were 
stolen.  Under  the  weight  of  hindrances 
and  trials  such  as  these,  and  in  the  presence 
of  scenes,  none  the  less  horrible  because 
familiar,  which  cannot  be  described,  the  mis- 
sionaries and  teachers  labored  diligently  on. 


264  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

A  few  held  steadfastly  to  their  faith,  and  in 
the  darkness  signs  of  the  dawn  were  seen 
by  the  ''patient,  toiling  watchers."  They 
trusted  in  God,  and  were  not  cast  down,  be- 
lieving that  the  gospel  would  yet  prevail  in 
Fiji  if  they  worked  and  waited  long  enough. 
The  printing-press  was  not  idle  in  these 
days  of  discouragement ;  and,  a  fresh  supply 
of  types  and  paper  having  been  sent  from 
England,  it  was  not  long  before  books  were 
published  in  four  of  the  Fijian  dialects. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PEOGRESS   IN   LAKEMBA. 

In  1842  Mr.  Williams  arrived  at  La- 
kemba,  and  very  soon  built  himself  a  com- 
fortable house.  The  missionaries  heretofore 
had  trusted  to  the  natives  for  dwellings, 
and  therefore  generally  had  uncomfortable 
houses,  ill  adapted  to  the  convenience  or 
health  of  English  families.     They  soon  fol- 


PKOGRESS   IN    LAKEMBA.  265 

lowed  Mr.  Williams's  example,  and,  as  they 
were  able  to  do  so  built  houses  for  them- 
selves. 

When  the  mission  house  at  Viwa  was 
built,  it  consisted  of  two  stories  and  an 
attic.  None  of  the  others  had  built  so  high ; 
and  the  chiefs  from  Mbau  came  to  see  it. 
They  gazed  with  wonder  and  admiration  at 
the  flat  ceiling  and  the  even  walls,  and  broke 
into  exclamations  of  delight. 

In  1843  Mr.  Williams  removed  to  Somo- 
somo,  and  Mr.  Calvert  was  again  alone.  He 
began  now  to  suffer  much  embarrassment 
from  two  different  parties  of  foreigners  on 
the  island, — the  Papists,  who  were  trying  to 
establish  a  mission  there,  and  the  Tongans, 
whose  indolence  made  them  poor,  while  their 
pride  and  influence  caused  them  to  be  hated 
and  feared. 

The  Protestants  had  a  decided  advantage 
over  the  Papists,  in  the  influence  of  their 
domestic  life  and  the  presence  and  spirit  of 
their  wives.  The  people  were,  as  a  general 
thing,    much    attached    to    the   Protestant 


23 


2\  6  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

fanilies,  and  almost  as  universally  they  dis- 
liked the  priests. 

The  principal  difficulty  the  missionaries 
had  to  encounter  with  the  Tongans  was  their 
extreme  idleness,  which  led  them  into  various 
disorderly  practices.  They  would  not  work, 
they  must  live,  and  they  were  content  to 
depend  on  the  Fijians.  The  missionaries 
therefore  directed  their  efforts  specially  to 
this  one  point, — to  teach  them  honest  in- 
dustry, by  precept  and  by  practice.  These 
efforts  were  not  unsuccessful ;  for  soon  a 
somewhat  better  state  of  things  began  to 
manifest  itself.  The  Tongans  are  a  bold, 
intelligent,  and  powerful  race,  who  exert 
much  influence;  and  they  must  always  be 
either  an  important  assistance  or  a  great 
hindrance  to  the  labors  of  the  missionaries. 
They  are  still  a  source  of  perplexity  and 
trouble  to  the  church,  although  many  of 
them  have  commended  true  religion  to  all 
around  them  by  word  and  deed. 

In  1844,  Mr.  Lyth  was  appointed  to  assist 
Mr.  Calvert  at  Lakemba.  The  church  now 
numbered    nine    hundred   and    sixty-three 


PEOGKESS   IN   LAKEMBA.  26*/ 

members.  The  medical  skill  of  Mr.  Lyth 
was  in  constant  demand,  and  this  alone  kept 
him  very  busy.  Soon  after  his  arrival, 
Toki,  the  inveterate  hater  and  opposer  of 
Christianity,  died  suddenly.  By  his  death 
a  great  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  religion 
in  Lakemba  was  removed.  Both  here  and 
in  the  surrounding  islands  a  new  spirit 
seemed  to  be  awakened.  The  people  were 
apparently  moved  by  a  sincere  conviction 
of  their  sinfulness  and  trust  in  Jesus  Christ. 
Among  a  number  who  had  been  merely 
nominal  Christians,  and  who  now  became 
really  changed,  was  Jane,  the  daughter  of 
King  Tui  Nayau,  and  the  wife  of  a  chief  of 
high  rank.  When  she  became  a  true  be- 
liever in  Jesus,  her  heart  was  touched  with 
deep  anxiety  for  her  friends.  Immediately 
she  went  to  the  king  her  father,  and  found 
several  persons  with  him.  Sitting  down  by 
his  side,  and  leaning  against  him,  she  said, 
"  Sire,  I  have  come  to  beg  of  you  to  aban- 
don heathenism  and  embrace  Christianity. 
Heathenism  is  false  and  useless ;  religion  is 
good,  and  a  very  great  matter.    I  now  know 


268  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

that  religion  is  good.  The  Lord  has  worked 
mightily  in  my  soul.  I  now  know  the  ex- 
cellency of  religion;  and  I  have  therefore 
come  to  beseech  you  to  turn  from  falsehood 
to  truth."  She  wept  much.  The  king  said, 
"  Have  you  only  now  found  that  religion  is 
good  ?"  She  replied,  "  I  have  only  known 
well  about  religion  a  few  days.  The  Lord 
has  changed  my  heart.  Had  I  known  be- 
fore, I  should  have  come  to  you.  On  finding 
the  power,  I  felt  great  love  to  you ;  and  I 
have  now  come  before  you  to  beg  you  at 
once  to  decide."  He  said,  "You  are  right 
and  true.  Most  of  our  relatives  are  on  your 
side.  I  shall  wait  a  little  longer,  and  then 
decide.  I  build  no  temples.  I  do  not  attend 
to  heathen  worship.  There  are  only  a  few 
of  us  remaining  heathens." 

Lakemba  was  at  this  time  threatened  with 
war  from  Mbau.  In  former  days  the  ex- 
cited people  would  have  flocked  to  the  tem- 
ples with  offerings  to  consult  the  priests. 
Now  the  temples  were  deserted,  and  no 
priests  were  to  be  seen.  The  town  was 
fortified,  and   many  began    to  discuss   the 


PROGRESS    IN    LAKEMBA.  269 

question  whether  it  would  not  be  better  for 
all  to  become  Christians  at  once. 

The  deepest  anxiety  was  felt  by  the  mis- 
sionaries' families ;  for  to  gain  the  mass  of 
the  people,  even  as  nominal  Christians,  was 
to  throw  a  heavy  weight  on  the  right  side 
of  the  scale.  Tui  Nayau  at  last  announced, 
on  Friday,  January  9,  1846,  that  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath  he  would,  for  the  first  time, 
worship  Jehovah.  But  the  influence  of 
many  who  still  opposed  Christianity  dis- 
suaded him  from  keeping  his  resolution. 

Under  the  pressure  of  growing  excite- 
ment, the  Sunday  following  was  fixed  for 
the  king's  profession  of  Christianity,  and 
every  thing  went  well  till  the  Saturday, 
when  the  counsels  of  heathen  chiefs  were 
strongly  backed  by  Eomish  priests,  who  pre- 
ferred Tui  Nayau's  remaining  a  heathen  to 
his  becoming  a  Protestant;  and  once  more 
the  king  drew  back. 

Wetasau,  the  chief  next  in  rank,  had  for- 
merly been  very  obstinate  in  his  resistance 
to  the  truth;  but  now  his  mind  was  changed, 
and  nothing  could  longer  deter  him  from 

23* 


272  IHE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

In  this  year  the  mission  lost  one  of  its 
best  native  preachers, — a  Tongan,  named 
Julius  Naulivou.  He  was  a  man  of  high 
rank  and  great  influence.  He  had  been 
adopted,  when  quite  young,  by  a  former 
king  of  Lakemba,  but  after  he  grew  up  he 
returned  to  Tonga,  where  he  was  converted, 
and  then  he  went  back  to  Lakemba  that  he 
might  preach  the  gospel  to  his  companions 
there.  He  died  in  perfect  trust  in  Christ, 
and  with  words  of  joyful  praise  upon  his 
lips.  He  had  a  friend  named  Wangki-i- 
chalani,  for  whose  conversion  he  had  long 
and  earnestly  prayed.  Under  the  influence 
of  his  peaceful  death,  Wangki  and  several 
others  forsook  heathenism  for  the  service  of 
God. 

In  1848,  a  large  chapel  was  built  on 
Nasangkalu,  the  third  town  in  importance 
on  Lakemba.  Wangki  here  used  all  his  in- 
fluence to  persuade  the  people  to  lotu.  The 
teacher  at  this  place  had  been  a  notorious 
robber,  but  was  now  not  only  honest,  but 
willing  to  sufier  loss  and  endure  outrage. 

Among  the  Levuka  people — a  sailor  tribe 


PEOGRESS   IN    LAKEMBA.  273 

ject  to  Mbau — was  a  chief  who  was  a 
notorious  leader  in  every  bold  enterprise  or 
daring  robbery.  His  hatred  of  the  Tongans 
and  Christians  was  intense,  and  was  mani- 
fested in  active  efforts  to  put  down  the  lotu 
and  harass  the  Tongans. 

One  evening  Mr.  Calvert  improved  a 
favorable  opportunity  to  explain  fully  to 
him  the  doctrines  of  religion  and  urge  upon 
him  its  truth  and  its  claims.  The  next 
night  the  Levukan  came  again ;  and,  as  he 
listened  and  inquired,  his  conscience  was 
troubled  and  his  heart  subdued,  until  the 
enemy  of  Christianity  became  its  obedient 
and  earnest  advocate.  In  proportion  to  his 
former  hate  was  his  present  love.  He  had 
formerly  gone  through  Fiji,  carrying  out- 
rage and  distress ;  now  he  reconciled  ene- 
mies, and  taught  that  man  should  love  his 
neighbor  as  himself.  When  the  people  won- 
dered at  the  change  in  his  conduct,  he  told 
them  of  the  change  in  his  heart.  He  built, 
at  his  own  expense,  a  chapel  for  the  people 
in  his  own  town,  and  made  it  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  district. 


274  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

But  the  usual  difficulty  in  such  cases  re- 
mained with  him.  One  thing  he  could  not, 
for  some  time,  bring  himself  to  do.  He  had 
many  wives,  valuable  to  him  for  the  wealth 
and  position  which  they  gave  him.  The 
struggle  to  give  them  up  was  long ;  but  in 
the  end  the  right  conquered.  The  day  when 
his  new  chapel  was  opened  for  the  worship 
of  God,  he  put  away  his  many  wives,  and 
was  married  to  one.  The  effect  of  this  step, 
as  a  proof  of  his  sincerity,  and  as  an  ex- 
ample to  other  chiefs  and  people,  can  hardly 
be  appreciated. 

In  May,  1848,  Mr.  Calvert  left  Lakemba 
for  Viwa.  Lakemba  was  his  first  station. 
Others  had  at  intervals  labored  there  with 
him,  but  he  had  spent  ten  years  in  steady 
toil  on  this  island,  and  whatever  changes 
had  taken  place  in  these  ten  years  had  been 
mainly  through  his  instrumentality.  His 
attachment  to  Lakemba  was  most  fervent, 
and  his  prayers  for  her  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual prosperity  most  earnest.  Mr.  Malvern 
remained  there,  and  was  joined  by  Mr. 
Watsford  and  his  wife.     These  all  labored 


PEOGEESS   IN   LAKEMBA.  275 

faithfully,  and  the  good  work  progressed  in 
their  hinds. 

In  1849,  Mrs.  Watsford,  whose  health  had 
long  been  failing,  but  who  was  most  reluc- 
tant to  take  her  husband  from  his  labors, 
became  so  much  worse  that  they  were 
obliged  to  leave  Fiji  immediately. 

Tui  Nayau  was  much  attached  to  Mr. 
Watsford ;  and  the  morning  he  left  he  pre- 
sented to  him  a  necklace  of  whale's  teeth, 
and,  kissing  him,  promised  him  he  very  soon 
would  lotu.  New  circumstances  now  oc- 
curred to  induce  Tui  Nayau  to  take  this  step. 
Lakemba  was  threatened  with  war  from 
Mbau,  and  soon  reports  came  of  a  large 
army  on  its  way  to  attack  the  island.  The 
week  after  Mr.  Watsford  left,  Tui  Nayau 
made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in 
Christianity,  in  which  he  was  joined  by  the 
only  remaining  heathen  priest  and  some  of 
his  friends. 

On  hearing  of  this,  the  chief  of  the  great 
town  of  Nasangkalu  ordered  the  drum  to 
be  beaten  for  service,  and  together  with 
many  of  his  people  joined,  for  the  first  time, 


276  THE    CANISIBAL   ISLANDS. 

in  the  worship  of  Gcd.  The  following  Sab- 
bath was  a  day  of  great  rejoicing  on  La- 
kemba  and  the  other  islands  whither  the 
news  had  travelled.  Every  opposition  to 
the  whole  people  becoming  Christian  was 
now  removed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ONO    CONVERTED. 


The  church  at  Ono  now  demanded  the 
constant  supervision  of  a  missionary.  Ac- 
cordingly, it  was  decided,  in  1846,  that  Mr. 
Watsford  should  remain  there  at  least  a 
year.  He  labored  diligently  with  the  church 
and  the  schools,  and  also  endeavored  to  in- 
troduce improved  methods  of  work  among 
the  people.  This  he  found  very  difficult,  as 
their  prejudices  were  in  favor  of  their  old 
ways.  He  succeeded,  however,  in  showing 
them  how  to  manufacture  their  sinnet  more 
easily  and  more  economically,  and  contrived 


ONO   CONVERTED.  277 

a  macliine  to  assist  them  in  rope-making. 
He  showed  them  how  to  boil  down  their 
sugar-cane,  and  taught  them  the  use  of 
arrow-root  for  the  young  and  sick.  He 
thus  improved  their  temporal  condition,  and 
rendered  himself  acceptable  and  useful  to 
them  as  a  physician. 

Mr.  Watsford  and  his  family  suffered  many 
privations  from  the  delay  in  the  arrival  of 
supplies.  One  of  the  trials  incident  to  the 
climate  is  thus  described  in  a  letter  to  some  of 
Mr.  Watsford's  co-laborers  on  the  islands : — 
"  There  cannot  possibly  be  any  place  in  the 
world,  I  should  think,  as  bad  as  Ono  for 
mosquitos.  I  thought  Eewa  was  bad  enough ; 
but  it  is  nothing  to  Ono.  No  rest  day  or 
night.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  we  have  been 
tormented.  When  your  letters  came,  we 
did  not  know  what  to  do  to  get  them  read. 
We  could  not  sit  down  to  it.  We  had  to 
walk,  one  with  the  candle  and  one  reading, 
and  both  thrashing  at  them  with  all  our 
might.  We  could  not  sit  to  get  our  food. 
And,  although  we  did  every  thing  we  could 
to  keep  them  out  of  the  curtains,  yet  they 

24 


278  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

get  in  in  numbers,  and  night  after  night 
we  can  get  no  sleep.  Mrs.  W.  was  wearied 
out,  and  James  was  bitten  most  fearfully. 
Very  many  of  the  people  went  to  sleep  at 
Mana,  an  island  free  from  mosquitos,  on  the 
reef;  and  they  advised  us  to  go  there,  which 
we  did  at  last.  We  had  a  house  taken  there, 
and  lived  there  three  weeks.  We  then  came 
back  to  Ono.  Since  then  we  have  had  hot 
weather  and  fewer  mosquitos ;  but  lately  we 
have  had  much  rain,  and  they  are  now  very 
troublesome.  I  am  scratching  and  kicking 
with  all  my  might  while  I  write  this.  They 
never  tire  nor  stop  to  rest." 

In  1847  Mr.  Watsford  was  removed,  and 
no  new  appointment  was  made  for  Ono  until 
the  following  year,  when  Eev.  David  Hazle- 
wood  was  appointed  for  this  important  sta- 
tion. He  was  most  favorably  impressed  by 
the  external  appearance  of  the  Christian 
people,  and  by  the  great  difference  between 
tliem  and  the  heathen.  He  had  brought 
with  him  sixty  copies  of  the  New  Testament 
in  the  Fijian  language,  as  the  share  belong- 
ing to  the  place.     They  were  to  be  bound ; 


ONO   CONVERTED.  27^ 

and  book-binding  was  a  new  business  to  the 
missionary.  His  brethren  more  experienced 
in  the  business  had  given  him  some  little 
instruction;  but  he  found  folding  and  stitch- 
ing rather  awkward  work.  Soon  some  of 
the  native  preachers  offered  their  aid,  and 
after  a  little  teaching  they  put  the  books 
together  in  a  style  which  he  says  librarians 
might  laugh  at,  but  which  was  greatly  ad- 
mired and  appreciated  by  the  natives,  who 
eagerly  bought  them,  paying  for  them  chiefly 
in  sinnet. 

In  January,  Mr.  Hazlewood  removed  his 
family  to  a  small  island  on  the  barrier  reef, 
a  mile  or  two  from  Ono,  in  order  to  escape 
the  intolerable  torments  inflicted  by  the 
mosquitos.  Here  they  remained  several 
months,  comparatively  comfortable,  but  at 
great  inconvenience  to  Mr.  Hazlewood,  who 
was  obliged  to  cross  every  day  in  a  canoe, 
thus  exposing  himself  to  danger  and  losing 
much  valuable  time. 

He  was,  on  one  occasion  during  these 
months,  subjected  to  great  anxiety  and  dis- 
tress on  account  of   the  residence  of    his 


280  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

family  on  the  reef.  He,  with  one  of  his 
little  girls,  was  at  Ono,  his  wife  and  two 
other  children  on  the  small  reef-island.  For 
several  days  the  wind  had  been  strong,  but 
this  day  it  increased  to  a  violent  hurricane. 
Mr.  Hazlewood  was  obliged  to  stay  at  Ono. 
Through  the  night  the  roaring  sea,  the 
howling  wind,  and  the  pouring  rain  com- 
bined to  make  a  most  terrific  tempest,  so  that 
Mr.  Hazlewood  and  one  of  the  teachers  sat 
up  to  watch,  lest  the  shaking  house  should 
fall.  So  great  was  the  tumult  without,  that 
they  did  not  hear  the  crash  of  a  house  which 
fell  but  a  few  yards  from  them.  Through 
this  long  tempestuous  night  Mr.  Hazlewood 
listened  to  the  howling  hurricane,  and 
thought  of  his  wife  and  children,  separated 
from  him  by  the  foaming  sea,  on  the  little 
reef  where  any  of  the  huge  billows  lashing 
the  shores  might  sweep  them  away  into  the 
wild  abyss.  But  he  trusted  in  Him  who 
ruled  the  winds  and  the  waves,  and  doubted 
not  that  his  treasures  were  safe  in  his  hands. 
When  morning  came,  he  went  out  and  looked 
towards    the  little  island.      The   ruin    and 


ONO   CONVERTED.  281 

desolation  caused  \)j  the  storm  were  to  be 
seen  on  every  side  of  Ono ;  but  little  could 
be  discerned  on  the  reef.  The  trees  were 
still  erect,  although  no  house  could  be  dis- 
tinctly seen  standing.  At  noon  some  of  the 
natives  ventured  over  the  still  tossing  sea, 
and  in  the  evening  returned  with  the  glad 
news  that  all  the  family  were  safe.  Their 
house  had  fallen ;  but  they  had  first  fled  to 
a  small  building  which  they  had  propped  up 
for  the  night,  and  when,  in  the  morning, 
the  waves  came  dashing  up  into  it,  they 
escaped  farther  from  the  shore,  where  they 
built  a  temporary  shed.  The  men  who  went 
over  had  carried  the  small  house  in  which 
they  first  took  refuge  to  a  safer  position, 
and  the  family  were  sheltered  therein.  It 
was  not  until  the  third  day  after  the  storm 
that  Mr.  Hazlewood  could  cross  to  his 
family;  and  even  then  the  passage  was 
dangerous. 

Mr.  Hazelwood's  stay  in  Ono  was  limited 
to  one  year;  and,  accordingly,  at  the  end  of 
that  time  he  was  removed  to  another  station. 
As  the  need  of  instruction  on  other  islands 

24* 


282  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

was  now  greater  than  yi  this  one,  it  was 
thought  inexpedient  to  station  another  mis- 
sionary there.  A  Tongan  teacher  of  deep 
piety  and  earnest  zeal — Joel  Balu — was  sent 
to  take  the  place  of  the  missionary ;  and  he 
proved  his  worth  so  well  that  he  was  after- 
Wards  ordained.  After  he  had  remained  at 
Ono  for  some  time,  other  efficient  teachers, 
trained  by  Mr.  Lyth,  succeeded  him ;  and 
Ono  is  now  a  thoroughly  Christian  island. 
The  missionary  work  has  nowhere  yet  been 
so  speedily  and  permanently  successful  as  in 
this  island.  Fifty  teachers  have  been  raised 
up  from  among  the  natives,  some  of  whom 
have  gone  to  the  distant  heathen  parts  of 
Fiji,  while  others  are  still  laboring  at  home. 
We  may  here  note  a  needed  and  most 
valuable  addition  to  the  mission  force,  in  the 
shape  of  a  mission  ship,  '^  The  Triton," 
sent  to  the  island  in  1840.  In  it  the  mis- 
sionaries and  their  native  assistants  made 
voyages  from  island  to  island,  carrying  sup- 
plies for  living  and  laboring  where  other- 
wise they  would  not  be  able  to  remain. 


^^i 


DARK    DAYS   IN   EEWA.  283 

CHAPTER  XI. 

EEWA   AND    SOMO-SOMO. 


DARK    DAYS    IN    EEWA. 


In  1843  the  aspect  of  affairs  on  Eewa 
began  to  undergo  important  changes,  which 
not  only  affected  Eewa  itself,  but  also  in- 
fluenced in  a  painful  degree  the  mission. 
A  quarrel  had  been  for  some  time  gathering 
between  Rewa  and  Mbau.  Thakombau  was 
the  actual  head  of  the  government  at  Mbau, 
as  his  father,  Tanoa,  was  old  and  infirm. 
The  smouldering  fire  now  broke  forth  in  the 
flames  of  war,  and  the  conflict  was  waged 
with  great  fury  on  both  sides. 

The  terrible  sights  and  sounds  of  savage 
warfare  for  seven  months  continually  sur- 
rounded the  mission  house  where  Mr.  Jag- 
ger  toiled  alone.  During  this  time,  to  work 
at  the  printing-press  was  almost  all  that  he 
could  do ;  but  he  rejoiced  that  whUe  he  was 


284  THE   CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

out  off  from  active  labor  at  his  own  station 
he  could  supply  the  truth  in  printed  form 
to  other  islands  which  were  at  peace. 

Some  foreigners  who  lived  near  the  mis- 
sion station  sought  a  safer  position,  and 
strongly  urged  Mr.  Jagger  to  do  the  same; 
but,  having  the  printing-press  under  his 
charge,  he  determined  to  stay,  unless  the 
risk  of  doing  so  became  greater  than  it  then 
was.  He  speaks  in  writing  of  the  astonish- 
ment which  his  calmness  excited  in  both 
Christians  and  heathen,  and  adds,  simply, 
*'  We  trusted  in  our  God."  Only  those  who 
have  this  trust  can  know  the  ''quietness 
and  assurance"  which  it  bestows. 

In  1844,  during  the  month  of  August,  the 
whole  mission  family  went  to  Viwa  to  attend 
the  district  meeting.  The  question  as  to 
the  propriety  of  remaining  at  Eewa  was 
fully  discussed.  All  were  rejoiced  in  seeing 
the  family  alive  and  well,  but  wondered  at 
their  brother's  firmness  in  resolving  to  con- 
tinue in  so  dangerous  a  position.  There 
was  no  probability  of  an  end  to  the  war  for 
some  time,  and  the  destruction  of  Rewa  and 


DARK   DAYS   IN   REWA.  285 

its  people  had  been  declared  as  the  set  pur- 
pose of  Mbau.  The  roof  of  the  mission 
house  was  also  in  a  rotten  state.  In  peace 
it  had  been  difficult  to  get  the  thatching 
done;  now  it  was  impossible.  Food  was 
scarce,  and  becoming  much  more  so.  The 
Eewa  chiefs  still  clung  to  their  gods,  and 
still  attended  to  the  priests,  though  proved 
to  be  false,  several  of  them  having  been 
killed  after  boastfully  promising  immediate 
victory.  The  king  had  also  sent  a  request 
that  there  should  be  no  more  singing  at  the 
Christian  worship,  lest  his  gods  should  be 
offended. 

Under  all  these  circumstances,  the  district 
meeting  resolved  that  the  Eewa  mission 
should  for  the  present  be  abandoned,  and 
the  "  Triton"  was  sent  to  effect  the  removal 
of  the  property  to  Viwa  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. Presents  were  given  to  the  king  and 
his  brother  to  secure  their  permission,  and 
the  goods  were  removed  successfully  and 
without  loss.  Two  teachers,  who  were  will- 
ing to  remain,  were  left  in  charge  of  the 
small  band  of  Christians. 


286  THE  CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

After  this  the  war  continued  between 
Eewa  and  Mbau,  until  by  treachery  the 
Mbau  people  under  Thakombau  gained 
access  to  the  town  of  E,ewa,  destroyed  the 
place,  killed  three  or  four  hundred  people, — 
among  whom  were  ten  Christians, — and  made 
the  late  king's  brother  Phillips,  according 
to  his  English  name,  an  adherent  of  their 
own  king.  Ratu  Nggara  was  a  fugitive  in 
the  mountains.  There  he  bent  his  energies 
to  the  collection  of  a  force  which  would  make 
him  a  match  for  Thakombau.  As  soon  as 
he  was  strong  enough,  he  attempted  to  take 
a  town  near  where  Eewa  had  stood,  and 
was  successful.  There  he  gathered  his 
people  together,  and,  putting  up  a  fence  and 
a  few  temporary  huts,  began  to  rebuild  the 
town.  He  sent  the  missionaries  a  message 
while  he  was  doing  this,  telling  them  that 
the  people  attributed  many  of  their  misfor- 
tunes to  their  rejection  of  the  gospel. 

In  1847  the  Mbau  people  again  attacked 
Eewa,  burned  it,  and  again  Eatu  Nggara 
escaped.  Then  Eewa  was  rebuilt  by  the 
conquerors,  and  Phillips  appointed  king. 


DAEK   DAYS   IN   REWA.  287 

The  people,  though  obedient  to  the  king 
thus  placed  over  them,  were  in  favor  of 
Eatu  Nggara;  and  in  1851  he  entered  Rewa, 
declared  himself  king,  and  was  recognized 
by  the  people. 

The  many  attacks  made  by  Phillips  and 
the  Mbau  chiefs  on  him  were  unsuccessful. 
He  seemed  to  be  firmly  established ;  and,  as 
he  had  received  large  stores  of  ammunition 
from  foreign  vessels,  he  was  fully  prepared 
to  defy  his  enemies. 

In  1852  a  native  teacher  was  sent  to 
watch  over  the  mission  till  the  missionaries 
could  safely  return.  During  the  war,  the 
Komish  priests  had  sent  one  of  their  number 
to  Eewa,  who  had  tried  diligently  to  get  a 
pledge  from  the  new  king  that  he  would 
forbid  the  return  of  the  Protestant  mission- 
aries. This  priest  was  much  troubled  by 
the  arrival  of  the  teacher,  and  begged  the 
king  to  send  him  away.  Eatu  Nggara  said 
he  was  afraid  to  do  so,  as  the  teacher  had 
been  brought  by  an  Englishman  in  a  British 
ship-of-war.  This,  however,  was  not  the 
case,  as  he  had  been  sent  in  the  mission 


288  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

boat.  The  king  was  evidently  glad  to  see 
him,  and  had  now  learned  to  value  the 
presence  and  teaching  of  the  missionary, 
whom  he  wished  to  bring  back  once  more. 
He  said  he  had  been  to  the  Komish  service, 
and  had  learned  nothing,  as  they  did  not 
worship  in  a  language  he  understood ;  but 
from  the  teacher,  though  only  a  native  of 
Fiji,  he  had  received  instruction,  as  he  un- 
derstood the  language  in  which  the  service 
was  conducted.  It  was  evident  that  he 
thought  the  priest  might  prove  useful,  as  he 
had  already  received  presents  of  muskets 
from  him,  and  therefore,  to  avoid  offence, 
pleaded  fear  as  an  excuse  for  keeping  the 
teacher. 

The  priests  then  appealed  to  Sir  Everard 
Home,  of  her  Majesty's  ship  "  Calliope,"  in 
two  long  letters,  complaining  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, and  desiring  their  removal.  Sir 
Everard,  on  a  visit  to  Eewa  during  the  war, 
had  been  impressed  by  the  indifference  of 
the  priests  to  the  bloodshed  and  cannibalism 
around  them,  and  he  answered  in  a  man- 
ner most  favorable  to   the  missionaries  — 


SOMO-SOMO   ABANDONED.  289 

speaking  in  the  highest  terms  of  their  in- 
dividual character  and  of  the  effects  of  their 
teaching,  and  declining  to  interfere  in  any 
way  with  their  influence  or  instructions. 
About  this  time  the  chief  Phillips  died,  and, 
in  consequence,  Ratu  Nggara  was  joined  by 
many  chiefs  and  towns.  Thakombau  was, 
by  a  series  of  losses  and  misfortunes,  much 
weakened,  while  the  power  of  Eatu  Nggara 
was  confirmed  and  increased.  This  war  con- 
tinued unto  the  year  1852,  and  through 
these  years  was  a  constant  obstacle  to  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  of  peace. 

SOMO-SOMO    ABANDONED. 

There  was  no  station  on  the  Fijian  islands 
where  the  toil  and  the  danger  were  greater, 
and  where  there  was  less  evidence  of  suc- 
cess, than  at  Somo-somo.  The  king  was  in 
earnest  in  his  threat  to  kill  any  who  should 
lotu.  Every  hindrance  was  opposed  to  the 
missionaries.  In  the  beginning  of  1842  they 
had  removed  from  the  middle  of  the  town 
to  a  more  convenient  and  healthy  position 
on  the  sea-shore.     They  had  built  there  two 

25 


290  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

comfortable  mission  houses.  They  visited 
many  of  the  surrounding  towns  and  villages, 
and  found  the  people  willing  to  hear,  but 
slow  to  receive  the  truth.  The  habits  of 
many  of  the  natives  were,  in  some  respects, 
changed  for  the  better,  although  very  little 
*'  direct  and  decisive  fruit"  rewai^ded  the 
missionaries'  toil. 

At  the  district  meeting  held  this  year  at 
Lakemba,  Mr.  Cross  was  advised  to  leave 
Fiji  on  account  of  his  rapidly  failing  health. 
When  he  had  at  length  reluctantly  decided 
to  go,  he  heard  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Water- 
house;  and,  feeling  that  after  such  a  loss  to 
the  mission  he  could  ill  be  spared,  he  re- 
solved to  stay  if  the  arrangement  could  be 
made  for  him  to  reside  with  Mr.  Lyth  and 
be  under  his  medical  care.  It  was  far  easier 
to  die  in  the  work  than,  under  such  circum- 
stances, to  leave  it.  Accordingly,  in  Sep- 
tember Mr.  Cross  joined  Mr.  Lyth  at  Somo- 
somo,  and  Mr.  Hunt  went  to  Viwa  to  supply 
his  place. 

The  fatigue  of  moving  in  his  exhausted 
condition  overcame  the  invalid,  and,  notwith- 


SOMO-SOMO   ABANDONED.  291 

standing  the  attention  and  care  Mr.  Lyth 
bestowed  on  him,  he  died  October  15,  1842. 
He  had  been  a  missionary  in  the  South-Sea 
Islands  for  fifteen  years,  seven  of  which 
had  been  spent  in  Fiji;  and  now  he  joyfully 
went  to  his  rest,  trusting  in  the  Saviour 
whom  he  had  loved  and  served  on  earth. 

For   two  years   longer   the   missionaries 
labored   against   difficulty  and   discourage- 
ment.    Wars  were  unceasing,  the  king  still 
resisted  the  claims  of  Christianity,  and  the 
people  became  constantly  more  indifi^erent. 
In  1847  the  district  meeting  decided  that 
it  was  not  best  to  continue  toiling  on  this 
barren  ground  while  laborers  were  so  much 
needed  in  other  and  more  productive  parts 
of   Fiji.     When    this    decision    was   finally 
reached,  the  greatest  care  had  to  be  taken 
to  hide  the  fact  from  the  natives.    For  some 
months    the   missionaries   were   quietly   at 
work  preparing  to  go.     They  managed   to 
get  away  some  boxes  of  clothes  and  articles 
of  barter,  and  almost  all  their  books  and 
other  goods  were  packed  ready  to  put  on 
board  the  ''Triton"  when  she  should  arrive. 


292  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Most  of  the  screws  were  taken  out  of  the 
hinges  of  doors  and  windows,  so  that  every- 
thing could  be  removed  on  the  shortest 
notice. 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  the  '^  Triton" 
anchored  off  Somo-somo  quite  late  on  the 
evening  of  the  28th  of  September.  Two 
of  the  brethren — Messrs.  Lyth  and  Calvert 
— who  had  come  from  Lakemba  to  help  in 
the  removal,  went  ashore  at  once,  giving 
orders  for  the  boats  to  be  at  the  beach  early 
the  next  morning.  At  daybreak,  the  na- 
tive servants,  a  few  Tongans,  and  two  or 
three  Viwa  people  assisted  the  sailors  in 
carrying  the  baggage  to  the  boats,  which 
was  done  very  quickly  and  quietly.  The 
fact  that  the  premises  were  a  little  way  out 
of  the  town  helped  to  keep  the  removal  more 
secret. 

After  the  boats  had  safely  deposited  the 
most  valuable  articles  on  board  the  ship,  the 
missionaries  went  to  the  king,  and  told  him, 
calmly,  that  as  he  was  engaged  in  war,  and 
not  disposed  to  attend  to  their  teaching,  and 
as  the  mission  families  had  suffered  very 


SOMO-SOMO   ABANDONED.  293 

much  from   sickness,  they  had  determined 
to  leave  Somo-somo  for  a  time,  and  dwell  in 
some  other  part  of  Fiji,  where  the  people 
were  anxious  to  become  Christians.    Having 
thus  taken  formal  leave,  they  got  all  avail- 
able help  to  forward  the  removal  of  their 
goods,  so  that  when  the  young  men  returned 
in  the  evening  from  the  fields,  and  crowded 
about  the  premises,  there  was  nothing  of 
value  left  on  shore.     Some  of   the  natives 
were  very  troublesome,  and  several   things 
were   purloined.     ''Where   are   you   going 
with  that  door?"  asked  a  missionary  of  a 
man  who  was  hurrying  off  with  a  large  door. 
"Tm    taking   it   down    to   the    boat,    sir." 
"Well,  but  you  are  taking   it  the  wrong 
way  for  the  boat:  you  must  turn  this  way." 
And  so  he  did ;   but  a  good   many  things 
went  the  wrong  way  before   all  was  done. 
Yet  far  less  was  lost  than  had  been  expected. 
Towards  evening  a  tiresome  old  chief  took 
up  a  board,  and  Mr.  Williams  stopped  him  ; 
whereat  the  old  fellow  was  very  angry,  and 
seized  his  great  club,  vowing  that  he  would 
kill  the  missionary.    Mr.  Calvert  interposed, 

25* 


294  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

and  begged  the  old  chief  to  be  quiet,  and 
comfort  himself  by  taking  off  the  board; 
but  the  ship's  crew  were  much  alarmed,  and 
seemed  glad  to  get  on  board  with  their 
charge.  That  night  all  the  mission  party- 
slept  on  board,  and  the  next  morning  the 
"Triton"  left  Somo-somo. 

Since  the  abandonment  of  this  station, 
the  seed  so  tearfully  sown  by  the  mission- 
aries has  sprung  up  marvellously.  Civil 
war  has  desolated  the  island;  the  chiefs  and 
people  have  become  humbled,  have  regret- 
fully remembered  the  kind,  faithful,  earnest 
servants  of  God  who  sought  to  lead  them  to 
a  better  life,  and  have  greatly  desired  to 
have  a  teacher  again  sent  to  them.  As  yet, 
from  want  of  means,  this  desire  has  not 
been  gratified.  The  spreading  of  the  mis- 
sion work  widely  into  other  parts  of  Fiji 
has  absorbed  all  the  available  men  and 
means, — and  Somo-somo  waits  for  some  one 
to  teach  its  people  the  way  to  heaven. 


VERANI   OF    VIWA   CONVERTED.         295 


CHAPTER  XIL 

VERANI    OF    VIWA   CONVERTED. 

The  mission  band  on  Viwa  were  at  this 
time  greatly  encouraged  by  the  conversion 
of  their  former  enemy,  Verani.  For  some 
time  he  had  been  satisfied  that  Christianity 
was  true,  but  was  kept  from  avowing  his 
belief  by  a  wish  to  help  the  Mbau  chief  in 
war.  The  more,  however,  he  became  per- 
suaded of  the  importance  of  the  truths  he 
had  heard,  the  more  his  uneasiness  increased, 
until  he  always  went  forth  in  dread,  fearing 
lest  he  should  fall  in  battle  and  be  lost  for- 
ever. He  still  professed  to  be  heathen,  but 
often  stole  into  the  woods  alone  to  pray  to 
the  one  true  G-od ;  and  even  on  the  battle- 
field he  would  fall  down  and  call  upon  the 
Lord  his  maker. 

His  conviction  of  the  claims  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion  upon  him  steadily  increased : 


296  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

he  made  constant  inquiries  of  the  mission- 
aries on  the  subject,  and  manifested  in  manji 
ways  that  the  Spirit  was  striving  with  his 
heart.  He  requested  permission  of  the  Mbau 
chief,  Thakombau,  to  profess  Christianity, 
but  was  persuaded  by  him  to  delay  that  step. 
His  anxiety  about  his  soul,  and  his  interest 
in  things  pertaining  to  its  salvation,  never 
ceased.  At  length,  at  a  morning  prayer-meet- 
ing, with  the  humility  of  a  little  child,  the 
once  terrible  Verani  bent  his  knee  before 
the  one  true  God,  and  renounced  heathen- 
ism with  all  its  practices. 

Not  long  afterwards  an  aggravated  insult 
was  offered  to  him,  in  the  murder  of  a  chief 
whose  head  wife  was  Verani's  sister ;  but  the 
arm  once  so  quick  to  strike  in  bloody  re- 
venge now  was  unmoved.  The  man  so 
jealous  and  so  furious  in  his  wrath  was  now 
another  man ;  and  when  his  own  widowed 
sister  and  the  other  wives  of  the  slain 
gathered  around  Verani  and  wildly  urged 
him  to  strangle  them,  he  stood  firm,  and 
said,  calmly,  "  If  you  had  come  some  time 
since,  I  would  readily  have  done  it;  but  I 


VERANI    OF    VIWA    CONVERTED.        297 

have  now  lotued,  and  the  work  of  death  is 
over." 

Hearing  of  Verani's  intention  to  lotu^ 
Thakombau,  when  too  late,  sent  a  messen- 
ger, requesting  further  delay,  that  they 
might  all  become  Christian  together.  The 
answer  was,  ''  Tell  Thakombau  that  I  have 
waited  very  long  at  his  request;  and  now 
that  I  have  become  Christian,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  go  anywhere  with  my  people  to 
attend  to  his  lawful  work;  but  I  fear  Al- 
mighty God  and  dread  falling  into  hell-fire, 
and  dare  no  longer  delay."  Message  after 
message  was  sent ;  but  in  vain.  Verani  was 
told  that  the  hitherto  ample  supplies  which 
he  had  received  from  Mbau  would  be 
stopped,  and  that  he  would  come  to  be  a 
poor  and  despised  man.  But  he  had  counted 
the  cost,  and  was  not  to  be  moved. 

Verani,  of  his  own  accord,  at  once  deter- 
mined to  marry  one  wife  and  put  the  others 
away.  Some  men  of  rank,  whose  judgment 
in  former  days  he  was  wont  to  regard, 
pressed  him  to  keep  some  of  his  wives  as 
servants.     But  they  spoke  to  a  man  whose 


298  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

whole  heart  was  set  against  evil  too  fully  to 
allow  him  to  keep  temptation,  under  any 
form,  in  his  way.  "  You,"  said  he  to  these 
counsellors,  ''are  on  the  devil's  side.  If 
my  wife  cannot  manage  in  our  house,  I  will 
help  her  to  get  wood  and  cook  our  food; 
but  I  will  not  continue  to  sin  against  God." 

The  missionaries  speak  of  his  repentance 
as  being  proportionate  to  his  great  wicked- 
ness. His  outrages  and  crimes  had  been 
enormous  in  kind  and  in  number,  and  his 
grief  became  agony  when  the  thought  of 
the  love  of  Christ  and  of  his  sins  against 
that  love.  When  he  found  peace  and  for- 
giveness, he  longed  to  tell  every  one  he 
knew  of  the  Saviour  whom  he  loved  and 
worshipped  with  his  whole  soul. 

He  was  baptized,  choosing  the  name  of 
Elijah,  was  married  to  his  chief  wife,  and 
built  a  large  new  house,  which  he  called 
Cherith,  in  remembrance  of  the  brook  be- 
yond Jordan,  where  the  prophet  whose  name 
he  had  taken  was  fed  by  the  ravens. 

His  wife  made  him  a  happy  home.  He 
loved    her   very   much,    and    found    great 


VERANI    OF    VIWA   CONVERTED.        299 

pleasure  in  the  progress  his  daughter  was 
making  at  the  school.  Nor  was  family 
prayer  neglected  in  this  household. 

Elijah  Verani,  as  he  was  now  called,  was 
a  man  of  prayer  and  constant  communion 
with  God. 

When  he  was  on  a  visit  to  Mbau,  Mr. 
Williams  wrote  down  one  of  his  simple, 
heartfelt  prayers  as  he  uttered  it.  We 
give  this  prayer;  and -truly  a  miracle  it  is 
that  a  heathen  so  vile  should  thus  learn  the 
language  of  God's  kingdom  : — 

''  0  Lord  our  Lord !  0  God  our  Father, 
whose  abode  is  heaven !  we  worship  before 
thee.  We  offer  not  ourselves,  or  our  own 
righteousness,  to  gain  thy  notice  :  we  present 
Jesus ;  we  come  with  this  our  worship  in  his 
name.  Thou  art  God ;  we  know  thee  to  be 
God.  We  come  to  thee  whom  once  we  knew 
not.  in  those  days  we  served  gods  which 
are  not  gods ;  we  were  wearied  in  attending 
on  them. 

'*  0  Lord  the  true  God,  have  mercy  on 
us !  We  are  now  engaged  in  worshipping 
thee;  but  this  will  not  profit  us  if  thou  art 


300  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

away.  Hear  our  cry,  0  Lord,  and  be  with 
us,  and  help  us.  We  are  moving  towards 
thee ;  do  thou  move  towards  us,  and  give  us 
a  blessing  in  this  worship. 

"  0  Jehovah,  hear  us  for  his  sake,  thy 
Son,  w^hom  thou  didst  give  that  through 
him  we  also  might  become  thy  children.  Oh, 
hear  our  prayer,  that  the  wicked  may  con- 
sider, and  that  the  impenitent  may  become 
penitent  and  come  to  Christ  and  be  saved. 
We  would  enter  where  Christ  has  entered, 
and  be  with  thee.  0  Holy  Ghost,  descend 
upon  us,  and  prepare  our  hearts  for  that 
place. 

*'  And  be  with  every  congregation,  wher- 
ever worshipping,  to  help  them,  that  they 
may  worship  thee  aright.  0  Lord,  hear  our 
cry,  and  be  nigh  unto  thy  work :  it  is  thy 
work  we  have  to  do ;  but  we  cannot  do  it  if 
thou  art  not  near  to  help  us.  And  love  thy 
people  who  are  bowed  before  thee :  bless  the 
chiefs,  and  the  ladies,  and  the  aged,  and  the 
children ;  bless  them,  and  may  they  be  saved. 

''And  bless  the  Christians  at  Lakemba, 
and   Kandavu,    and   Nandi;    and   be   with 


VERANI  OF  VIWA  CONVERTED.    301 

La.zarus  and  those  at  Ndama ;  and  be  with 
those  who  live  here.  Bless  Ra  Hezekiah, 
and  give  him  thy  Spirit,  and  teach  him  in 
his  goings,  and  help  him  to  cast  away  the 
old  strength  in  which  he  used  to  trust,  and 
to  trust  in  thy  strength  only, — the  strength 
which  we  never  knew  until  we  heard  the 
name  of  Jesus. 

"And,  0  Lord,  bless  thy  people  in  Viwa; 
and  if  one  is  sent  to-day  to  preach  thy  gos- 
pel in  Mbau,  go  thou  with  him,  that  the 
words  of  his  mouth  may  be  of  use  to  the 
chiefs  of  Mbau. 

"  And  we  pray  thee  for  our  ministers : 
they  see  much  evil  by  living  with  us  in  Fiji, 
and  they  suffer  and  are  weak  in  their  bodies, 
and  there  is  nothing  with  us  that  we  can 
give  them  to  strengthen  them.  This  only 
we  can  do,  we  can  pray  for  them.  0  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  hear  our  prayers  for  them. 
Mr.  Williams  is  weak :  do  thou  strengthen 
him,  and  let  his  life  be  long,  and  make  our 
land  good  for  him ;  and  bless  the  lady  and 
the  children,  and  let  thy  Spirit  be  always 
with  them  to  comfort  their  minds. 


302  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

*'  These  are  our  prayers.  Oh,  hear  them ; 
do  thou  hear  them  for  Jesus'  sake.  Oh,  hear 
them  for  Fiji's  sake  !  Do  have  love  for  Fiji. 
When  our  minds  think  of  Fiji,  they  are 
greatly  pained ;  for  the  men  and  women  of 
Fiji  are  thy  people,  and  these  thy  people  are 
strangled  and  clubbed  and  destroyed.  Oh, 
have  compassion  on  Fiji;  and  spare  thy 
servants  for  the  sake  of  Fiji,  that  they  may 
preach  thy  true  word  to  the  people.  And, 
0  Holy  Spirit,  give  light  to  the  dark-hearted 
and  give  them  repentance.  And  set  us  in 
motion,  that  we  may  not  be  so  useless  as  we 
have  been,  but  that  we  may  now,  and  for  the 
time  to  come,  live  to  extend  thy  kingdom, 
that  it  may  reach  all  Fiji,  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  accepted  offering  for  us. 
Amen." 

Verani  travelled  much  in  different  direc- 
tions to  spread  the  knowledge  of  the  gospel 
wherever  he  could,  and  was  a  most  valuable 
and  indefatigable  assistant  in  the  missionary 
work.  Love  to  God  and  love  to  man  occu- 
pied his  whole  soul  and  shone  in  every 
action  of  his  life. 


VERANI  OF  VIWA  CONVERTED.    303 

Perhcips  there  was  no  man  in  Fiji  wliose 
conversion  to  Cliristianity  was  so  remarkable 
and  influential.  He  was  so  well  known  as 
a  furious  slayer  of  all  who  stood  in  his  way, 
that  the  people  could  hardly  understand  the 
change  in  his  character. 

At  the  same  time  that  there  was  a  deep 
religious  feeling  in  the  Church  at  Ono,  God 
greatly  blessed  his  work  in  Viwa  also.  A 
revival  visited  the  island,  and,  while  those 
already  Christians  were  awakened  to  greater 
earnestness,  many  hitherto  careless  were 
most  powerfully  and  deeply  moved.  Their 
penitence  for  sin  was  proportionate  to  the 
enormity  and  number  of  what  they  now  saw 
to  have  been  the  transgressions  of  their 
past  lives ;  and  in  many  cases  the  sincerity 
of  their  repentance  was  proved  by  their 
subsequent  devotion  to  the  service  of  God. 
The  increase  in  church-membership  result- 
ing from  this  revival  was  two  hundred,  and 
the  effects  produced  by  it  were  marked  in 
the  community. 

In  1848  the  mission  band  suffered  a  great 
affliction   and"  loss   in    the   death  of  John 


304  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

Hunt,  who  was  one  of  the  most  valuable, 
laborious,  and  beloved  missionaries.  When 
he  became  evidently  very  ill,  his  fellow- 
laborers,  who  clung  to  him  with  a  love  that 
was  mingled  with  reverent  admiration,  were 
deeply  distressed.  The  natives  who  were 
his  spiritual  children  were  overwhelmed 
with  sorrow. 

So  great  a  calamity  as  the  loss  of  their 
beloved  pastor  filled  the  Viwan  Christians 
with  dismay,  and,  with  one  heart  of  grief, 
they  gathered  about  that  throne  of  grace  to 
which  his  faithful  hand  had  led  them,  and 
prayed  without  ceasing  that  his  life  might 
be  spared.  With  mighty  pleading  did  Verani 
lift  up  his  voice  among  those  sorrowing  ones. 
Deeply  did  he  love  the  sick  missionary;  and 
now  he  prayed,  "  0  Lord,  we  know  we 
are  very  bad ;  but  spare  thy  servant !  If  one 
must  die,  take  me  !  Take  ten  of  us  !  But 
spare  thy  servant  to  preach  Christ  to  the 
people !" 

The  unremitting  care  of  Mr.  Lyth  was  a 
source  of  great  relief  to  the  sufferer.  While 
some  prayed  at  his  bedside,  he  wept,  and 


VERANI  OF  VIWA  CONVERTED.   306 

became  more  deeply  moved  after  they  had 
risen  from  their  knees,  until  his  full  heart 
burst  forth  in  the  cry,  "  Lord,  bless  Fiji ! 
save  Fiji !  Thou  knowest  my  soul  has  loved 
Fiji ;  my  heart  has  travailed  in  pain  for 
Fiji !"  Those  who  stood  by,  fearing  for  his 
weak  frame,  tried  to  calm  his  emotion  by 
telling  him  that  God  was  blessing  Fiji,  and 
that  now  he  must  be  silent.  For  a  time  he 
yielded,  and  wept  low ;  but  that  great  flame 
of  devoted  love  must  leap  up  in  all  its  glory 
of  earnestness  ere  it  go  out ;  and,  grasping 
Mr.  Calvert  with  one  hand,  he  raised  the 
other,  crying,  ''  Oh,  let  me  pray  once  more 
for  Fiji !  Lord,  for  Christ's  sake,  bless  Fiji! 
Save  Fiji !  Save  thy  servants  1  Save  thy 
people!  Save  the  heathen  in  Fiji !"  That 
good  heart  was  as  true  and  mighty  as  ever ; 
but  the  flesh  was  weak,  and  he  once  more 
became  calm  at  the  request  of  his  friends. 

He  died  October  the  4th,  after  an  illness 
of  two  months,  in  the  true  and  certain  hope 
of  a  glorious  resurrection,  with  words  of 
joy  and  praise  on  his  lips,  and  undisturbed 
peace  in  his  heart. 

20* 


306  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

MBUA    AND    NANDL 

The  town  of  Mbua  is  situated  on  the 
large  island  of  Vanua  Levu, — the  ''  Great 
Land," — at  a  considerable  distance  from 
Mbau,  which  is  on  the  coast  of  Na  Viti 
Levu, — "Great  Fiji."  It  is  an  inland  town, 
of  no  considerable  power,  but  has  much 
interest  as  a  mission  station.  The  chief  of 
Mbua  sent,  in  1843,  for  a  teacher  to  instruct 
a  friend  of  his  who  had  become  a  Christian. 
This  teacher,  and  others  afterwards  sent, 
never  received  active  aid  from  the  chief;  but 
with  his  indirect  sanction  they  labored  so 
successfully  that  in  1845  there  were  three 
hundred  Christians  in  the  community.  The 
majority  of  these  lived  at  Tiliva,  a  small 
village  on  the  island,  divided  from  the  town 
of  Mbua  by  a  river.  Here  the  mission 
house  was  situated.     Protracted  wars  had 


MBUA   AND    NANDI.  307 

impoverished  the  inhabitants  of  the  region 
around  Tiliva,  had  compelled  them  often  to 
save  themselves  from  famine  by  eating  wild 
roots  and  fruits,  and  had  engendered  among 
them  habits  of  indolence  and  listlessness. 

Although  the  sinnet  grew  luxuriantly 
around  them,  they  never  gathered  nor  plaited 
it.  They  had  no  comforts,  and  were  slat- 
ternly and  careless  in  all  their  domestic  ar- 
rangements. Yet  among  these  people  Chris- 
tianity began  its  work  in  Mbua ;  nor  was  it 
long  before  it  caused  improvement  in  their 
mode  of  life.  They  were  induced  to  build 
substantial  houses  instead  of  mere  sheds, 
to  plant  gardens,  make  cloth,  and  acquire 
habits  of  industry  and  order.  Not  only 
was  this  change  wrought  in  their  temporal 
condition  by  the  coming  of  the  gospel  to 
them,  but  in  many  cases  their  spiritual  na- 
ture was  hopefully  renewed. 

Just  about  this  time  Verani  was  married 
to  one  wife,  and  immediately  returned  his 
other  wives  to  their  homes.  Among  them 
was  a  daughter  of  the  Mbua  chief,  who 
resented  the  sending  back  of  his  daughter  as 


308  THE   CANNIBAL  ISLANDS. 

a  personal  insult,  notwithstanding  Verani's 
explanations,  and  began  to  revenge  himself 
on  those  of  his  own  people  who  were  con- 
verts. He  prohibited  the  profession  of 
Christianity,  and  persecuted  those  who  dared 
to  adhere  to  their  new  faith.  The  people 
had  built  a  very  neat  chapel,  which  Tui 
Mbua  caused  to  be  burned  down.  The 
flames  also  consumed  a  house  of  one  of  the 
teachers;  but  the  rest  of  the  village  was 
saved  by  the  exertions  of  the  poor  people. 
These  trials  and  discouragements  proved 
too  much  for  the  faith  of  some  among  the 
professed  Christians,  and  they  went  back 
to  heathenism ;  but  the  greater  number  con- 
tinued firm. 

When  the  Somo-somo  station  was  aban- 
doned, it  was  thought  best  that  Mr.  Wil- 
liams should  go  to  Tiliva. 

Mr.  Williams,  in  writing  to  England  in 
November,  1847,  describes  the  locality  of  the 
new  station  as  very  delightful,  and  the  com- 
mon people  as  docile,  simple,  and  attentive. 

After  a  longer  residence  in  Mbua,  Mr. 
Williams   found   that   the   people  were   as 


MBUA   AND    NANDI.  309 

depraved  in  most  respects  as  in  Somo-somo. 
Infanticide  was  so  commonly  practised  among 
them  that  they  could  hardly  be  persuaded 
that  it  was  wrong.  The  missionary  was  not 
exempt  from  the  persecution  of  the  Chris- 
tians; and  the  chief— Mbati  Namu— de- 
clared his  intention  to  kill  Mr.  Williams, 
take  his  wife  as  his  own  property,  destroy 
the  mission  premises,  and  let  his  people 
share  the  spoils.  Mr.  Williams  suffered 
much  from  distressing  anxiety  for  the  safety 
of  himself  and  his  family  for  two  months, 
— when  the  persecutor  fell  by  violence,  and 
was  eaten  by  his  enemies. 

In  speaking  of  the  horrors,  murders,  and 
cannibalism  attending  and  following  the 
death  of  this  chief,  Mr.  Williams  says, 
''Enlarged  views  of  the  omnipotence  of 
redeeming  love  are  necessary  to  keep  the 
missionary  to  such  a  people  from  the  wither- 
ing influence  of  despair.  He  appears  to 
live  amongst  fiends  rather  than  men ;  and, 
when  he  sees  them  fulfilling  the  dictates  of 
their  corrupt  passions,  he  finds  it  difficult 
to  believe  them  within  the  reach  of  mercy. 


310  THE  CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

"  It  was  a  great  relief  to  turn  from  such 
scenes  to  the  quiet  and  order  of  the  Chris- 
tian village, — which  had  just  been  saved  from 
the  evil  purpose  of  the  chief, — where  live 
many  proofs  of  God's  power  to  save  canni- 
bal Fijians." 

At  the  same  time  that  the  mission  at 
Mbua  was  commenced  by  the  missionaries 
at  Viwa,  one  at  Nandi,  a  town  on  Vanua 
Levu,  was  established.  Much  good  was 
first  accomplished  by  a  native  teacher,  with 
occasional  visits  from  a  missionary.  Mr. 
Hunt  was  so  much  encouraged  by  his  suc- 
cess that  he  persuaded  the  natives  to  build 
a  mission  house,  with  a  confident  hope  of 
having  a  missionary  stationed  among  them. 
The  house  was  built  on  a  swampy  flat,  close 
to  the  salt-water  river,  in  a  thick  grove  of 
mangrove-bushes,  where  there  was  little  cir- 
culation of  air  to  allay  the  suffocating  heat. 
But  here  the  missionaries  were  obliged 
to  be;  for  here  were  the  people  to  whom 
they  were  to  minister.  The  health  of  the 
mission  families  suff'ered  but  little  from  the 
disadvantages  of  their  situation.    The  station 


A   HURRICANE.  311 

was  occupied  in  November,  1847,  by  two 
young  missionaries,  with  their  families, — Mr. 
Watsford,  who  had  been  for  some  time 
laboring  at  Viwa  and  Ono,  and  Kev.  James 
Ford,  who  had  just  arrived  from  England, 
after  a  voyage  of  a  year  lacking  ten  days. 

The  newly-arrived  missionaries  had  been 
but  two  months  in  JSTandi  when  a  most 
severe  hurricane  visited  the  island.  Mr. 
Watsford,  in  his  journal,  gives  a  thrilling 
account  of  it.  After  many  of  the  natives' 
houses  had  been  blown  down,  the  mission 
house,  being  stronger,  still  stood ;  but  in 
three  days  the  tempest  returned  with  in- 
creased violence.  Some  of  the  teachers  and 
people  assembled  at  the  mission  house,  and 
worked  diligently  to  keep  the  rocking  house 
from  falling.  The  children  were  collected 
near  the  door,  wrapped  in  blankets;  while 
the  parents  stood  ready  to  rush  out  with 
them  as  soon  as  the  house  actually  began  to 
fall.  In  an  hour's  time  one  side  of  the  house 
fell  in,  the  door  was  dashed  open,  and  they 
rushed  out;  but  the  violence  of  the  wind  and 
rain  beat  them  back.    As  soon  as  they  could, 


312  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

they  made  their  way  to  an  out-kitchen;  but 
constant  efforts  were  necessary  to  make  it 
safe.  They  had  been  here  but  a  half-hour 
when  two  young  men  from  the  town  came 
to  tell  them  that  the  water  was  rising  so 
rapidly  that  they  must  fly  instantly  or  they 
could  not  escape.  The  peril  seemed  equally 
great  whether  they  went  out  into  the  storm 
or  remained  where  they  were.  They  deter- 
mined to  leave  their  shelter.  The  children 
were  given  to  the  care  of  natives,  the  two 
ladies  placed  on  the  backs  of  other  natives, 
and,  with  a  prayer  to  God,  they  went  out. 

Mr.  Watsford  writes,  "  It  was  a  fearful 
time  as  we  hurried  along  to  the  town.  The 
cocoanut-trees  bent  over  our  heads  and  fell 
around  us ;  the  nuts  were  flying  in  every 
direction;  the  rain  beat  like  shot  in  our 
faces ;  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
we  could  keep  on  our  feet,  the  wind  being 
so  strong.  We  had  to  wade  through  the 
water,  and  in  many  places  it  was  up  to  our 
necks ;  we  had  to  cross  a  part  of  the  river 
where  a  long  tree  was  thrown  across  for  the 
bridge;   the  flood  was  very  rapid,  and  we 


A    HUEEICANE.  313 

were  in  imminent  danger,  but,  thank  God, 
we  got  over.  After  some  time,  we  all  reached 
the  town,  and  ran  into  one  of  the  teachers' 
houses ;  but  we  soon  had  to  leave  it  again, 
as  we  thought  it  would  fall  upon  us.  We 
then  got  into  a  small  house  which  appeared 
stronger  than  the  others ;  and,  being  on  a  raised 
foundation,  we  thought  the  flood  could  not 
reach  us.  Here  we  remained  about  an  hour, 
shivering  with  cold,  our  clothes  being  soaked 
by  the  rain. 

''  While  we  were  in  this  place,  many  houses 
fell  around  us,  and  the  water  continued  to 
rise  very  rapidly;  and  now  it  reached  the 
step  at  the  door.  The  night  was  coming  on, 
and  we  began  to  think  of  some  plan  of  get- 
ting to  the  mountains  before  dark.  The 
teachers  tied  a  number  of  bamboos  together 
for  a  raft,  and  we  sent  Mrs.  Ford  and  Mrs. 
Watsford  first :  the  natives  swam  and  pushed 
the  raft  along.  They  had  great  difficulty  in 
managing  it,  and  we  were  afraid  they  would 
be  thrown  off;  but,  through  the  goodness 
of  God,  they  were  landed  in  safety  at  a  house 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  which  was  only 

27 


314  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

one  inch  or  so  above  the  water.  The  raft 
returned,  and  Mr.  Ford  and  I  got  on  it. 
We  had  to  leave  our  dear  children  behind, 
except  my  little  girl,  whom  I  carried  in  my 
arms.  I  had  wrapped  the  blanket  closely 
around  her,  and  held  her  close  to  my  breast  to 
screen  her  from  the  storm.  She  cried  very 
much  for  some  time,  and  then  she  moaned  a 
little,  and  I  thought  my  child  was  dying.  I 
felt  her  little  face,  and  it  was  cold  as  marble. 
When,  however,  we  reached  the  house,  she 
revived  again.  Our  other  children  were 
then  brought,  and  the  natives  carried  them 
up  into  the  mountain  and  returned  for  us ; 
but  while  they  were  away  we  found  that 
the  water  had  gone  down  a  little :  we  waited 
a  short  time  to  be  certain,  and  then  sent  for 
the  children,  who  were  brought  back  nearly 
dead.  How  truly  thankful  we  were  to  be 
allowed  to  remain  in  this  little  shed ! 

"  About  six  o'clock  the  storm  began  to 
abate ;  but  we  could  not  get  near  our  house 
to  get  dry  clothes ;  and  if  we  could  have 
got  to  the  house  we  could  not  have  obtained 
what  we  needed,  as  nearly  all  our  things 


A   HURRICANE.  315 

were,  or  had  been,  under  water.  I  happened 
to  have  some  Ono  native  cloth  on  a  shelf  in 
a  native  house,  which  the  flood  had  not 
reached.  This  we  cut  up  into  dresses;  and, 
taking  our  own  clothes  off,  we  wrapped  some 
of  it  around  us,  and  felt  a  little  more  com- 
fortable. Our  teacher  cooked  us  some  food, 
of  which  we  partook ;  and  then,  having  en- 
gaged in  prayer,  we  spread  some  cloth  on 
the  ground  and  lay  down  to  rest.  What  a 
day  this  has  been  !  In  all  we  have  passed 
through,  how  great  has  been  the  goodness 
of  Grod !  What  a  mercy  that  it  was  day ! 
Had  the  storm  come  on  at  night,  I  do  not 
know  what  we  could  have  done.  Our  ex- 
tremity was  God's  opportunity." 

When  the  storm  ceased,  and  they  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  to  their  house,  they  found 
nearly  all  of  Mr.  Ford's  books  destroyed, 
and  their  groceries,  clothes,  and  furniture 
almost  ruined  by  being  under  water  for 
hours.  And  more  grievous  than  all  these 
losses  was  one  which  fell  upon  Mr.  Watsford 
a  few  days  later,  in  the  death  of  his  little 
girl,  resulting  from  her  exposure  in  the  ter- 


316  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

rible  storm.  Mrs.  Watsford  also  became  so 
ill  that  they  sent  to  Viwa  for  Mr.  Lyth  to 
visit  her.  On  his  way  to  answer  the  call, 
he  was  wrecked  at  Ovalau,  and  lost  some 
valuable  books,  clothes,  and  manuscripts. 

Mr.  Watsford  now  secured  a  higher  and 
better  location  for  the  mission  house.  A 
large  wooden  building,  with  a  veranda 
around  it,  was  erected.  A  year's  experience, 
however,  proved  Mr.  Ford's  inability  to  stand 
the  climate,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  to 
England. 

Mr.  Watsford  remained  in  Nandi  for 
nearly  a  year,  and  then  removed  to  La- 
kemba,  and  Mr.  Hazlewood  took  his  place 
in  October  of  1848.  Mr.  Hazlewood  had 
been  at  Ono  for  some  time  past.  The  dif- 
ference between  those  he  had  left  and  his 
new  charge  struck  him  forcibly.  The  people 
there,  having  been  some  time  under  the 
influence  of  Christianity,  were  clean,  well 
dressed,  of  good  complexion,  and'  had  made 
advancement  towards  civilized  life.  Here 
they  appeared  miserably  poor,  degraded,  and 
Bavage. 


MBUA  AND   NANDI.  317 

In  the  towns  and  villages  around  Nandi, 
Christianity  gradually  found  its  way.  A 
chief  of  one  of  these  towns,  with  many  of 
his  people,  sought  instruction  from  the  mis- 
sionaries ;  and  soon  a  large  and  good  chapel 
was  built  for  their  use.  Teachers  were  sent 
to  these  places,  and  among  them  to  a  town 
fifty  miles  distant,  where  there  were  now 
several  Christians.  Thus  Mr.  Hazlewood 
was  busily  occupied  in  ministering  to  his 
own  immediate  flock,  visiting  his  teachers 
at  other  points,  and  fulfilling  all  the  nume- 
rous and  varied  duties  of  a  missionary.  The 
Christians  were  not  without  persecutions 
from  their  heathen  neighbors;  but  one  by 
one  the  little  company  slowly  increased. 


27* 


318  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

PROGEESS   OF  THE  GOflPEL  ON  THE   ISLANDS. 

The  word  of  God  had  now  (1850)  gained 
a  firm  footing  on  many  of  the  Fiji  Islands. 
In  others  it  was  making  an  entrance.  In  yet 
others  the  savage  islanders  had  heard  of  the 
progress  of  the  "  lotu,''  and  were  prepared 
to  consider  the  claims  of  the  new  religion 
brought  to  them  by  the  wonderful  white  men. 

From  Lakemba,  whose  missionary  history 
we  have  already  followed,  Messrs.  Lyth  and 
Malvern  made  progress  to  other  islands. 
Here  they  were  often  cheered  by  finding 
converts  where  no  white  man  had  labored. 
Their  institution  for  training  native  teachers 
had  enabled  them  to  send  forth  Fijian  mis- 
sionaries, whose  words  were  heeded  by  their 
heathen  countrymen.  The  last  heathen 
priest  on  Lakemba  was  baptized  in  1850.  In 
the  islands  around  there  were  many  converts. 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   GOSPEL.  319 

At  Nango,  Mr.  Malvern  in  one  day  bap- 
tized twenty-nine  adults  and  nineteen  chil- 
dren, married  twelve  couple,  preached,  and 
administered  the  Lord's  supper.  He  left 
Nango  the  next  day,  intending  to  return 
home ;  but  the  wind  was  contrary,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  change  his  course.  After  a 
rough  voyage  he  reached  Nayau,  an  island 
fifty  miles  ofi".  He  writes  : — ''  Soon  after  our 
arrival,  I  saw  that  it  was  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  that  had  brought  us  hither.  I  found 
the  lotu  in  a  better  state  than  at  any  place 
to  which  I  had  been.  Nearly  the  whole  of 
the  adults  on  the  island,  I  should  judge,  are 
in  possession  of,  or  are  earnestly  seeking, 
salvation.  One  of  their  leaders  said  that 
twelve  months  ago  they  were  like  a  canoe 
with  her  point  unsettled, — first  shifting  this 
way,  then  that  way,  instead  of  sailing  direct 
for  the  land  she  was  bound  for;  but  now 
they  are  mua  donu, — sailing  straight, — 
their  minds  fixed  for  serving  God  and 
getting  to  heaven.  We  here  baptized  more 
than  a  hundred  Fijians." 

At  the  close  of  1851  the  people  of  La- 


320  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

kemba  were  reformed  outwardly,  being  de- 
cently clothed,  and  having  relinquished  theii 
obscene  midnight  dances  and  songs  for  the 
pure  worship  of  God.  Their  domestic  con- 
dition was  also  greatly  improved  by  the 
lessening  of  polygamy.  Christianity  gave 
the  Fijians  what  they  never  had  truly  be- 
fore,— a  home.  Those  who  had  known  La- 
kemba  and  its  dependencies  twelve  years 
ago  marvelled  at  the  almost  universal  change 
which  was  brought  about.  Scarcely  a  temple 
was  left  standing,  and  the  sacred  foundations 
on  which  they  were  once  were  now  culti- 
vated as  garden-plots.  Club-law  was  utterly 
abolished.  A  fine  chapel,  to  which  the  peo- 
ple eagerly  flocked,  graced  every  town;  and 
not  a  heathen  priest  was  left.  About  eight 
hundred  children  were  assembled  daily  in 
the  schools,  and  nearly  two-thirds  of  the 
adult  population  were  church-members, 
affording  good  evidence  of  their  desire  to 
''flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,"  while  a  large 
and  growing  number  gave  every  reason  to 
believe  that  they  were  renewed  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.     During  this  and  the  previous  year 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   GOSPEL.  321 

one  thousand  three  hundred  baptisms  were 
registered, — eight  hundred  adults,  none  of 
whom  received  this  sacrament  without  hav- 
ing brought  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance 
and  showing  a  sincere  desire  to  trust  on 
Christ  for  salvation.  Everywhere,  too,  was 
found  a  great  hunger  for  the  word  of  God. 
The  mission  press  could  supply  but  a  small 
number  of  Testaments,  and  the  missionaries 
were  pained  in  being  obliged  to  refuse  the 
people,  who  were  willing  to  pay  well  of  their 
property,  or  make  any  sacrifice,  to  obtain  the 
Scriptures. 

Mr.  Collis's  school  prospered,  a  growing 
interest  manifesting  itself,  and  eager  ambition 
to  excel  in  Scripture  knowledge.  The  chil- 
dren were  taught  reading,  spelling,  writing, 
arithmetic,  geography,  natural  history,  and 
^singing.  Mrs.  Collis  assisted  her  husband 
in  the  girls'  school,  instructing  them  on  re- 
ligious subjects,  in  addition  to  lessons  in 
sewing,  knitting,  and  other  feminine  occu- 
pations. A  class  of  young  men  held  weekly 
was  regularly  attended  by  nearly  a  hundred 
pupils, — many  of  them  coming  six  or  sev  en 


322  THE   CAJ^NIBAL    ISLANDS. 

miles  in  the  worst  weather  to  enjoy  its  privi- 
leges. 

The  Lakemba  schools  have  been  well  sus- 
tained, and  efficient  teachers  have  gone  forth 
from  them  to  other  parts  of  Fiji, — thus 
affording  valuable  aid  to  the  missionaries 
throughout  the  islands. 

REWA. 

As  this  island  was  now  comparatively- 
tranquil  after  its  wars  and  tumults,  the  mis- 
sionaries sent  word  to  the  people  that  they 
were  ready  to  resume  their  labors  among 
them,  as  they  had  promised  when  they  left. 
Eatu  Nggara,  the  former  enemy  of  the 
Christians,  gladly  welcomed  them  back,  and 
gave  a  fine  large  house,  built  for  the  accom- 
modation of  strangers,  to  the  missionaries. 

Here  they  established  the  station,  and 
Ratu  Nggara  showed  every  disposition  to 
protect  and  befriend  them. 

This  quiet  was,  however,  of  short  dura- 
tion. War  with  Thakombau,  chief  of  Mbau, 
was  soon  renewed.  Koroi  Euvulo,  one  of 
the   Mbau    chiefs,   a  man    to   whom    Ratu 


PEOGRESS    OF    THE   GOSPEL.  323 

Nggara  owed  much  assistance,  urged  him 
strongly  to  become  a  Christian  and  then 
carry  on  the  war.  This  the  king  refused, 
saying,  ''If  we  all  lofM,  we  must  give  up 
fighting, — as  it  will  not  do  to  pray  to  the 
same  God  and  fight  with  each  other." 

In  September  a  skirmish  took  place,  in 
which  several  Kewans  were  killed,  and  their 
bodies  taken  to  Mbau.  Ratu  Nggara  was 
determined  to  be  revenged  on  Thakombau, 
although  he  was  told  that  the  bodies  were 
not  eaten,  as  he  had  believed  He  sent 
word  to  the  missionary  at  Mbau,  Mr.  Moore, 
to  leave  the  island,  as  he  was  about  to 
attack  it  with  hordes  of  warriors.  The 
message  was  not  regarded  by  the  servant  of 
God.  Ratu  Nggara  was  resolute  in  his  pur- 
poses of  wrath,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances 
of  the  missionary  and  others.  Thakombau 
sent  messages  of  peace  and  acknowledgment 
of  his  own  ofi'ences  to  the  king;  but  he  was 
met  by  contempt  and  anger,  and  the  God 
of  the  Christians  defied  to  save  Mbau  or  its 
chief  from  his  revenge. 

Impatient  of  delay,  the  Eewa  chief  up- 


324  THE   CANNILAL   ISLANDS. 

braided  His  priests  with  the  falseness  of  their 
predictions  of  speedy  victory.  They  alleged 
as  a  reason  the  ruinous  state  of  several 
temples.  The  temples  were  accordingly  re- 
built, and  plentiful  sacrifices  offered.  The 
beating  of  the  Zo^i^-drum  was  forbidden,  and 
the  Christian  worship  might  no  longer  be 
celebrated  in  the  usual  place,  lest  the  gods 
of  Kewa  should  be  made  angry.  The  priests 
expressed  themselves  satisfied,  and  promised 
full  success.  Every  efibrt  in  the  way  of  re- 
ligious observance  and  warlike  preparation 
was  being  made  for  the  overthrow  of  Mbau, 
when  the  principal  mover  in  it  fell  sick. 
But  in  his  sickness  Eatu  Nggara  continued 
to  harden  his  heart,  and  on  the  26th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1855,  died  of  dysentery,  and  was  buried 
in  one  of  the  new  temples,  at  the  building 
of  which  the  priests  had  promised  him  dead 
bodies  in  abundance. 

Some  Rewa  towns  were  now  willing  at 
once  to  turn  to  Mbau;  but  Thakombau  de- 
clined the  ofi'er,  being  anxious  to  secure 
peace  at  once.  He  therefore  sent  a  messen- 
ger to  the  Eewa  chiefs,  who  consented  to  tlie 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   GOSPEL.  325 

termination  of  the  war.  But  mucli  bad  and 
angry  feeling  still  existed.  Many  were 
averse  to  peace,  and  Mr.  Moore  was  sus- 
pected of  having  given  the  late  king  poison 
in  his  medicine.  Still,  the  peace  was  for- 
mally ratified,  and  on  the  9  th  of  February 
the  peace-offering  was  received  at  Mbau 
with  beating  of  drums,  flags  flying,  and 
every  demonstration  of  rejoicing.  At  mid- 
night Mr.  Moore  was  awakened  by  the  crack- 
ling of  fire  in  the  adjoining  house.  Mrs. 
Moore  and  the  children  were  hurried  out  in 
their  night-clothes  to  a  small  dwelling  near. 
The  people  gathered  in  great  numbers,  and 
there  was  much  excitement.  Mr.  Moore 
called  out  to  them  to  take  what  goods  they 
could  get.  This  was  well  thought  of;  for 
they  set  eagerly  to  work  to  carry  off  the 
property,  and,  as  was  found  out  afterwards, 
were  thus  diverted  from  their  object  of  de- 
stroying the  missionary  and  his  family.  One 
man,  it  was  said,  lifted  his  club  to  kill  Mrs. 
Moore,  but  was  prevented  by  a  Rewan.  The 
mission  family,  undressed  as  they  were,  has- 
tened ofi"  to  Mbau  for  shelter.     Having  put 

28 


326  THE    CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

his  wife  and  children  in  safety,  Mr.  Moore 
returned  at  once  to  Rewa,  where,  in  the 
midst  of  danger  and  loss,  he  continued  to 
persevere  in  his  work.  A  great  deal  of  his 
property  was  consumed  by  the  fire,  and  the 
natives  had  stolen  the  rest. 

Troublous  times  did  not  now  end.  A  new 
war,  in  which  the  Christian  King  George, 
of  the  Tongan  Islands,  was  involved,  broke 
out;  but  peace  was  finally  established. 

On  their  return  from  a  victorious  cam- 
paign, the  Fijian  and  Tongan  warriors  as 
they  passed  up  the  river  in  forty  large  canoes, 
with  streamers  flying  from  the  mast-heads, 
excited  much  notice.  Occasionally  they 
were  joined  by  chiefs  some  of  whom  had  for 
years  been  at  war  with  each  other,  but  now 
met  on  friendly  terms  in  the  Tongan  king's 
canoe. 

They  spent  the  Sabbath  at  Rewa,  and  the 
Rewans,  Mbauans,  and  Tongans  assembled 
for  public  worship,  conducted  by  the  English 
missionaries  (Mr.  Calvert  and  Mr.  Moore), 
on  a  spot  formerly  sacred  to  the  rites  of 
heathenism.      The  sight  was  a  strange  and 


PEACE    ESTABLISHED.  327 

gratifying  one,— these  two  tribes  of  Mbau 
and  Eewa,  so  long  at  war,  together  peaceably- 
worshipping  the  living  God. 

The  king  provided  liberally  and  kindly 
for  Mr.  Calvert  and  Mr.  Moore. 

At  a  feast  held  at  Eewa  during  this  visit, 
peace  was  solemnly  established,  with  the 
following  proclamation  of  punishment  for 
transgressing  it: — 

"  Any  town  offending  by  taking  any  steps 
towards  war  will  be  considered  the  enemy 
of  all,  and  will  be  liable  to  chastisement  by 
the  combined  powers  of  Mbau  and  Kewa." 

During  these  times  of  tumult  in  Rewa, 
Mr.  Moore  had  built  a  small  house  for  his 
family,  and  now,  in  1855,  to  the  joy  of  some 
and  the  astonishment  of  others,  he  removed 
his  family  there,  trusting  in  God  for  protec- 
tion from  savage  violence. 

Mr.  Moore  had  at  times  been  greatly  dis- 
couraged when  he  saw  the  little  success 
attending  the  labor  expended  on  this  mission. 
But  the  people  were  becoming  familiar  with 
the  claims  of  Christianity,  and,  after  the  war 
was  ended,  seemed  inclined  to  give  attention 


328  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

to  them.  A  man  of  rank  and  influence  at 
this  time  publicly  abandoned  heathenism 
and  professed  Christianity.  This  made  no 
small  stir;  and  the  chief  men  assembled  and 
demanded  his  reasons  for  taking  such  a 
daring  step.  He  replied,  ''I  have  been  in- 
duced to  become  a  Christian  because  our 
priests  are  false,  and  because  the  king's 
priest,  while  striking  the  posts,  promised 
that  he  would  bring  the  late  king  to  life 
after  he  was  dead ;  also  because  Mr.  Moore's 
house  was  burnt  without  my  being  told  of 
it,  which  has  grieved  me."  The  chief  had 
well  considered  the  step,  and  now  remained 
firm,  notwithstanding  the  efforts  made  to 
turn  him  from  his  purpose,  jinother  con- 
sultation of  chiefs  was  therefore  held,  when 
it  was  resolved  that  they  too  should  lotu^ 
that  peace  should  be  permanent,  and  that 
all  the  towns  and  islands  belonging  toRewa 
should  be  urged  to  serve  the  one  true  God. 
The  arrival  of  several  Christians,  among 
them  a  chief  from  Lakemba,  did  much  to 
strengthen  the  good  work.  The  hearts  of 
the  laborers  were  rejoiced  by  the  springing 


REWA    TURNING    TO    GOD.  329 

into  life  of  the  seed  they  had  planted.  Many 
of  the  people  were  earnestly  asking  for  in- 
struction; and  in  not  a  few  households  there 
was  daily  family  prayer. 

The  Eoman  Catholics  abandoned  Rewa 
this  year,  discouraged  by  their  small  success. 

Mr.  Moore,  in  the  following  year,  wrote 
thus  to  England: — 

''Wide  doors  have  been  open  before  us  all 
the  year,  but  we  have  not  been  able  to  enter 
them,  for  the  want  of  help.  Many  have  been 
the  cries,  'Come  over  and  help  us;'  and  many 
the  schemes  resorted  to  in  order  to  get  help. 
Some  have  begged,  some  have  sent  presents, 
some  have  threatened  to  return  to  heathen- 
ism, some  to  Popery,  and  others  who  are 
Papists  (in  profession)  have  promised  to  join 
us  if  we  could  send  them  a  teacher;  but  in 
most  cases  we  have  only  been  able  to  give  a 
passing  call,  and  endeavor  to  satisfy  them 
with  a  promise. 

''From  our  last  report  you  would  learn  of 
the  vast  numbers  who  in  a  few  days  made 
a  profession  of  Christianity.  We  had  feared 
that  there  would  be  a  great  relapsing  to 

28* 


330  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

heathenism  this  year ;  but  we  are  thankful  to 
be  able  to  report  that  such  cases  have  been 
very  few,  and  only  where  we  have  not  been 
able  to  supply  teachers.  The  work  has  been 
progressing  all  the  year,  our  numbers  having 
doubled  those  of  last  year."  There  were  at 
this  time  sixteen  thousand  attendants  on 
Christian  worship  in  the  Eewa  circuit. 

Mr.  Moore,  in  1857,  says,  ''I  have  little 
time  to  study:  go,  go,  go,  is  the  order  of 
the  day.  The  work  extends  on  every  hand, 
and  we  want  a  thousand  bodies  to  be  in  a 
thousand  places  at  once,  to  do  the  great  work 
of  this  circuit."  In  later  years  the  good 
work  continued  to  spread  and  deepen,  filling 
the  hearts  of  the  laborers  with  joy  and  with 
great  gratitude  to  God. 


PEOaRESS   AT  VI WA.  331 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PROGRESS   AT   VIWA,    MBUA,    AND    NANDI. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Hunt  (1849),  Mr. 
Calvert,  who  had  been  ten  years  at  Lakemba, 
was  appointed  to  remain  at  Viwa  with  Mr. 
Ly th.  He  had  frequently  visited  Viwa,  and 
was  well  acquainted  with  Thakombau  the 
noted  chief  of  the  adjacent  island  of  Mbau, 
and,  in  common  with  all  the  missionaries, 
took  a  deep  interest  in  him  and  his  people. 

The  custom  of  giving  presents  to  the  chiefs 
and  people  had  grown  to  be  a  burdensome 
tax  upon  the  missionaries,  although  at  first 
it  was  a  matter  of  necessity.  Mr.  Calvert 
determined  to  abolish  the  system  as  it  now 
existed,  and  reduce  it  within  proper  limits. 
Mr.  Hunt's  kind  heart  had  led  him  so  to 
conform  to  this  custom  that  Thakombau  once 
said,  ''  He  is  ready  to  give  when  he  can  ill 
spare  the  article  we  beg.     He  is  a  kind  man. 


332  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

But  the  missionary  at  Lakemba  gives  you 
such  a  preachment  and  lecture  when  you 
beg  of  him." 

When  Mr.  Calvert  received  his  goods  from 
Lakemba,  Thakombau  went  on  the  vessel 
with  him.  According  to  usage,  Mr.  Calvert, 
as  a  new-comer,  made  him  an  offering  of  pro- 
perty from  the  district  he  had  left.  On  their 
way  to  the  shore,  however,  Thakombau  was 
obliged  to  listen  to  a  ''preachment  and  lec- 
ture." Mr.  Calvert  told  him  that  he  had 
come  from  his  home  in  England  to  teach  the 
people  of  Fiji  of  the  true  God  and  of  Jesus 
their  Saviour,  who  could  save  them  from 
their  sins;  that  his  one  great  object  was  to 
lead  them  to  obtain  and  practise  the  religion 
of  this  Saviour.  ''  I  have  brought  medicines 
from  England,"  he  said,  ''  and  have  gained 
some  knowledge  of  diseases  and  their  remedy, 
and  shall  have  pleasure  in  relieving  you 
of  pain  when  I  can,  that  your  life  may  be 
prolonged  for  repentance,  prayer,  and  the 
service  of  God.  While  thi»  is  the  only  object 
I  have  in  view,  I  am  aware  that  you  are  des- 
titute of  many  articles  which  we  have  in 


PROGRESS   AT   VIWA.  333 

England,  and  which  would  increase  your 
comfort.  Some  of  these  I  can  obtain  for  you 
by  writing  to  my  friends  in  England.  I 
shall  be  glad  to  do  so,  as  I  should  like  to 
see  you  improved  and  raised  in  temporal 
matters.  Only,  when  I  send  for  goods,  I 
have  to  pay  for  them,  and  you  must  pay  for 
whatever  I  obtain  for  you.  We  give  our 
time  and  energies  for  your  salvation;  but  we 
have  not  come  to  supply  you  with  worldly 
riches.  Yet,  if  you  will  pay  for  what  you 
require,  we  will  try  to  obtain  useful  articles 
for  you."  Thakombau  listened  complacently, 
soothed  by  the  present  just  given,  and  said 
he  was  glad  to  know  the  right  plan,  and 
should  like  to  be  informed  of  what  was  ex- 
pected in  payment  for  any  articles  he  might 
hereafter  desire. 

This  plan  was  henceforth  steadily  pursued 
at  Viwa,  and  was  found  to  be  of  much  advant- 
age to  the  people  as  well  as  to  the  missionaries. 

The  progress  of  Christianity  at  Viwa  after 
this  time  was  steady,  though  not  without 
hindrances  and  drawbacks.  Most  of  the 
people  were  nominal  Christians.     Na-mosi- 


334  :he  cannibal  islands. 

malua  continued  a  firm  friend  of  the  mission- 
aries, and  Verani  was  a  devoted  Christian 
until  his  death. 

The  missionaries  extended  their  labors 
among  the  surrounding  islands,  Viwa  being 
the  central  station.  From  here  teachers  were 
sent  out,  and  missions  supported  at  many 
neighboring  islands.  The  political  position 
and  importance  of  the  island  have  declined; 
but  in  civilization  and  in  religion  it  is  in- 
ferior to  no  other  in  the  group. 

MBUA. 

Mr.  Williams,  in  lis  letters  of  1849,  from 
Mbua,  on  the  large  island  of  Vanua  Levu 
(not  the  island  of  Mbau,  it  will  be  noted), 
speaks  of  visits  he  made  to  several  surround- 
ing towns,  in  which  he  was  accompanied  by 
Ra  Hezekiah  Vunindanga,  the  chief  of  Tiliva. 
This  man,  a  few  years  before,  had  been  a  most 
bitter  enemy  of  Christianity,  but  was  now  an 
earnest  and  consistent  believer. 

Some  of  their  interviews  with  chiefs  and 
others  were  of  great  interest ;  and  they  almost 
uniformly  found  respect  for  Christianity,if  not 


PROGRESS   AT    MBUA.  335 

conviction  of  its  truth.     At  one  village  Mr. 
Williams  was  taken  by  the  chief  to  the  tem- 
ple to  sleep,  and  a  place  given  him  near  the 
chief.     ''  I  had,"  he  says,  "  a  block  of  wood 
for  my  pillow,  and  the  roof  of  the  temple 
for  a  coverlet.      When    Ha   Mbombo   [the 
chief]  took  his  place,  I  was  fixed,  with  scarcely 
elbow-room,  between  two  veteran  cannibals, 
who  were  very  curious,  and  plied  me  with 
questions  for  several  hours  of  the  dark  night. 
On  the  morning  of  the  5th  we  conducted  a 
short  service  among  our  heathen  bedfellows, 
and  then  set  off  to  the  canoe." 

Mr.  Williams  was  much  interested  m  im- 
proving the  architecture  of  the  people.  He 
therefo'^e  built  a  neat  and  substantial  mission 
house,  and  a  chapel  superior  to  any  thing 
known  in  Fiji.  In  the  latter  work  the  people 
pjladly  aided  him.  He  says  that  Ra  Heze- 
kiah  was  of  opinion  that  the  best  material 
and  workmanship  should  be  expended  on  the 
house  of  the  Lord  his  God.  Acting  in  ac- 
cordance with  this  principle,  he,  and  some 
of  his  men  who  had  fame  for  ^^ifting  up  the 
axe,"  travelled  over  many  miles  of  the  sur- 


336  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

rounding  country  in  search  of  timber  for 
the  frame  of  the  building.  Whilst  they  were 
thus  employed,  the  old  men  enlivened  the 
village  by  the  rap,  tap,  tap  of  the  beaters 
with  which  they  separated  the  fibre  from  the 
fleshy  part  of  the  cocoanut-husk,  that  it 
might  be  plaited  into  sinnet  for  the  orna- 
mental lashings.  At  intervals  of  two  or 
three  days,  the  joyous  shout  of  the  return- 
ing wood -cutters  broke  the  quiet  of  the  even- 
ing,— a  signal  at  which  those  who  were  left 
in  the  village — old  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren— ran  off  to  assist  their  weary  friends 
in  dragging  some  giant  of  the  forest  to  the 
spot  where  it  was  to  become  a  pillar  in  the 
Lord's  house.  Happier  groups  than  these 
formed,  eye  never  saw.  In  about  three 
months,  eighty  beams  of  from  twelve  to  fifty 
feet  long  were  collected,  many  of  them  from 
a  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles,  and  by 
manual  labor  only.  The  logs  were  vesi,  or 
green-heart,  the  most  valuable  timber  in  the 
islands.  These  were  carefully  wrought  into 
a  very  substantial  frame,  completed  by  walls 
and  roof.     The  interior  of  the  church  was 


PROGRESS   AT    MBUA.  337 

adorned  by  two  colonnades  of  sixteen  maho- 
gany pillars  each,  three  feet  apart.  It  was 
ornamented  most  elaborately  with  sinnet  and 
highly-stained  reeds. 

The  people  cheered  each  other  in  their 
work  by  singing  and  chanting,  different  par- 
ties responding  one  to  the  other,  and  then 
joining  in  full  chorus. 

One  of  the  heathen  chiefs  sent  them  word 
that  they  were  few  and  doing  a  great  work: 
if  they  wished,  he  would  help.  So  a  party 
of  his  people  came  and  built  one  wall  and 
one  side  of  the  roof,  substantially  and  well. 

In  1850  war  commenced  in  the  Ndama 
district,  and  Mr.  Williams  went  thither  to 
try  to  restore  peace.  Accompanied  by  the 
chief  and  five  leading  men,  he  went  to  the 
fortress  where  the  principal  movers  of  hos- 
tilities were  assembled,  to  entreat  them  to 
finish  the  war  by  becxDming  Christians.  The 
sun  was  setting  as  they  reached  the  fortress. 
They  took  their  seats  among  groups  of 
grim-looking  men  covered  with  black  pow- 
der, and  stacks  of  muskets,  clubs,  and  spears ; 
and  the  "noon  of  night"  had  passed  before 

29 


338  THE    Ci^NNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

they  arose  from  those  seats.  There  was 
hard  pleading  on  both  sides.  The  heathen 
thirsted  for  revenge:  four  of  their  party 
were  dead,  and  others  wounded,  and  they 
had  not  drawn  blood  from  their  enemies. 
However,  at  length  Mbalata,  their  chief, 
yielded.  He  put  his  hand  into  the  hand  of 
the  missionary,  and  said,  ''I  should  like  to 
be  a  heathen  a  little  longer ;  but  I  will  lotUy 
as  you  so  earnestly  entreat  me."  A  young 
warrior  bowed  with  him,  and  at  the  silent 
hour  of  midnight,  in  the  open  air,  they  wor- 
shipped the  one  true  God  together.  In  an- 
other part  of  the  village,  twelve  women,  for 
the  first  time  in  their  lives,  bowed  the  knee 
to  Jehovah  and  said  ''Amen"  to  petitions 
offered  for  their  present,  future,  and  eternal 
happiness. 

Mr.  Williams  writes,  ''The  second  object 
of  my  visit — a  peace  betwixt  Ndama  and  Na 
Sau — engaged  my  attention  at  an  early  hour 
next  morning."  This  object  was  attained 
with  less  difficulty  than  he  anticipated.  In 
the  pres(  nee  of  Mr.  Williams  and  a  party 
of  Christian  chiefs,  the  leaders  of  both  par- 


PROGRESS   AT   MBUA.  339 

ties,  with  some  of  their  followers,  met  in  an 
area  enclosed  by  lofty  trees.     Upon  the  en- 
trance of  the  Na  Sau  chief,  Tui  Mbua,  the 
Ndama  chief,  arose  and  cordially  embraced 
him,  to  the  unutterable  joy  and  relief  of  the 
Christians  who  were  present.    At  the  request 
of  Mr.  Williams,  Tui  Mbua  stated,  in  an  ani- 
mated speech  of  some  length,  the  object  of 
their  meeting,  his  own  earnest  desire  for  peace, 
and  his  intention  to  be  a  Christian  from  that 
time  forth.    Afterwards  Ra  Hezekiah  Vunin- 
daDga,  the  Christian  chief  of  Tiliva,  addressed 
the  people.     He  began  by  saying,  ''This  is 
a  good  day :  we  have  long  prayed  that  we 
might  see  this  day;  now  we  see  it,  and  are 
glad.     To-day  we  see  the  great  power  of 
God.     Man  could  not  do  what  we  see  done 
to-day.     We  Fijians  are  a  perverse  people; 
we  are  Fijians,  and   we  know  that  of  all 
crooked,   obstinate    things    the    mind  of   a 
Fijian  is  most  crooked  and  most  obstinate. 
If  we  have  an  enemy,  we  do  not  like  to  be 
of  one  mind  with  him;  we  do  not  wish  to 
be  reconciled  to  him.     If  some  Fijian  chief 
of  great  power  had  this  day  come  to  unite 


340  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

US,  he  could  not  have  done  so;  certainly 
not, — certainly  not, — certainly  not.  If  some 
great  chief  of  Britain  had  come  amongst  us 
to-day  to  dissuade  us  from  war  and  make 
us  one,  he  could  not  have  done  so.  The 
Fijian  mind  defies  the  power  of  man.  But 
what  do  we  see  to-day?  We  see  those  who 
the  other  day  were  full  of  bad  feeling 
towards  each  other,  and  shooting  at  each 
other,  sitting  together  in  peace;  hatred  is 
taken  away ;  and  we  who  so  lately  had  each 
different  views  are  now  united,  and  our  minds 
are  as  the  mind  of  one  man.  Ask  no  more, 
'  What  can  the  lotu  do  ?'  after  what  your  eyes 
see  this  day.  The  lotu  is  of  God ;  and  what 
we  now  see  is  the  work  of  God :  he  alone  is 
almighty.  In  this  age  we  see  also  the  love 
of  God.  He  has  shown  his  love  to  us  by 
giving  us  his  book  to  tell  us  of  the  Saviour 
and  to  teach  us  the  way  to  serve  God.  And, 
to  help  us  to  understand  what  we  read,  he 
has  sent  his  ministers  to  our  land.  Great 
is  the  love  of  God.  We  Fijians  are  born  in 
darkness  and  error,  we  are  reared  in  error, 
it  if  our  nature  to  err,  so  that  it  is  import- 


PEOGRESb   AT    MBUA.  341 

ant  that  we  have  those  amongst  us  who  can 
direct  us.  A  father  who  loves  his  children 
tells  them  what  they  ought  not  to  do,  and 
he  tells  them  what  they  ought  to  do.  Mr. 
Williams  is  as  a  father  to  us.  If  we  take  a 
step  without  advice,  it  is  a  wrong  step ;  but 
if  it  is  approved  by  him  we  are  no  more 
double-minded,  but  go  fearlessly  on,  and  we 
find  that  we  are  doing  what  is  right;  but 
our  own  plans  lead  us  wrong,  and  the  end 
of  them  is  pain  and  trouble.  Great  is  our 
joy  at  this  meeting.  You,  our  friends  of 
Ndama  and  Na  Sau,  have  come  into  a  good 
way ;  never  go  from  it.  Grasp  firmly  what 
you  have  now  taken  hold  of:  the  end  thereof 
is  life, — life  now,  and  life  forever." 

Thus  did  the  gospel  change  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  the  heathen  and  bring  peace. 

Mr.  Williams  was  joined  in  1852  by  Mr. 
Moore,  and  together  they  toiled  patiently 
and  earnestly  with  the  islanders  of  Vanua 
Levu.  Dangers  came  from  new  wars,  but 
they  were  kept  in  safety.  From  the  climate, 
however,  they  sufi'ered  so  that,  in  1853,  Mr. 
Williams  was  compelled  to  sail  for  Australia. 

29* 


342  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

Mr.  Moore  remained  a  year  longer  at  Mbua, 
on  this  island,  when  he  was  sent  to  Rewa, 
Mr.  Malvern  taking  the  district  he  left. 

The  congregations  had  now  increased  to  two 
thousand  regular  attendants.  Mr.  Malvern 
soon  added  to  the  mission  buildings  a  school- 
house.   To  the  schools  he  gave  great  attention. 

The  chief  Tui  Mbua,  after  long  indecision, 
at  last,  in  August,  1855,  made  an  open  and 
sincere  profession  of  Christianity,  and  his 
example  was  followed  by  many  of  his  chiefs 
and  people. 

The  two  Christian  chiefs  Tui  Mbua  and 
Ea  Hezekiah  now  labored  together  to  pro- 
mote the  true  religion. 

Mr.  Wilson,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Malvern 
in  1856,  wrote  most  hopefully  of  the  work 
of  God  at  this  station.  He  says,  ''The 
preachers  are  zealous  and  pious,  the  members 
appear  sincere,  and  some  of  them  are  clear 
in  their  experience.  At  Ndama,  a  place 
which  has  suffered  much  for  religion,  we 
have  a  flourishing  cause:  the  chapel  is  too 
small  for  the  congregation.  They  have  con- 
tributed in  mats,  cocoanuts,  and  oil,  what 


PROGRESS   AT    MBUA.  343 

has  paid  their  teacher.  Since  I  began  this 
letter,  a  native  preacher  who  volunteered  to 
go  to  a  great  distance  to  a  heathen  popula- 
tion, and  who  left  his  wife  and  children  be- 
hind him,  has  returned  with  a  chief.  They 
report  that  twenty-five  have  embraced  Chris- 
tianity, that  many  are  waiting  until  the  mis- 
sionary ci  a  go,  and  then  they  will  become 
Christians.  The  chief  waited  on  me  this 
morning,  and  brought  a  turtle-shell  as  his 
love,  and  made  a  speech  on  behalf  of  him- 
self and  the  head-chief,  which  was  in  effect 
that  they  wished  a  missionary  to  go  and  live 
with  them,  and  then  all  in  Mouta  would  be- 
come Christians.  God  has  given  us  favor 
in  the  sight  of  the  people;  and  in  no  place 
in  the  world  could  money  be  spent  more  for 
the  benefit  of  the  human  race,  nor  mission- 
aries labor  in  a  field  where  they  could  bring 
a  larger  revenue  of  glory  to  God,  than  in 
Fiji  at  this  day.  The  work  is  marvellous 
and  overwhelming.  Surely  Christians  in 
England  who  have  loved  Fiji  so  long  and 
have  given  so  much  will  do  yet  more,  and 
make  an  effort  to  send  a  reinforcement  of 


344  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

missionaries,  seeing  that  their  Lord  has  hon- 
ored them  so  highly  by  giving  such  success 
to  their  efforts. 

"It  fills  our  hearts  with  gratitude,  and 
tears  of  joy  swim  in  our  eyes,  while  we  see 
what  Qod  hath  wrought.  Every  day  schools 
are  conducted  in  temples  once  heathen,  into 
which  if  a  woman  or  a  little  girl  had  entered 
a  short  time  ago  they  would  have  been  laid 
bleeding  victims  on  the  threshold;  we  walk 
over  ovens  in  which  men  were  regularly 
cooked,  but  they  are  filled  up,  and  yams  are 
growing  around  them;  we  pass  by  houses 
in  which  human  beings  were  eaten,  but  now 
we  hear  the  voice  of  praise  and  prayer;  we 
visit  the  sick,  and  we  hear  them  say  that 
they  are  passing  away  to  be  with  Jesus." 

On  the  12th  of  August,  1857,  a  festival 
for  the  children  took  place.  "A  school-an- 
niversary and  missionary  meeting  in  Fiji  !" 
As  many  as  five  hundred  children  were  pre- 
sent. The  exercises  were  in  the  open  air, 
and  consisted  of  hymns  sung,  the  chanting 
of  Scripture,  and  repeating  of  the  cate- 
chisms. 


PERSECUTION    AT   NANDI.  345 

NANDI. 

Whilst  at  other  points  the  work  was  glo- 
rious, from  Nandi,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
island  of  Vanua  Levu,  from  year  to  year 
sad  tidings  came.  Good  men  labored  until, 
in  broken  health,  they  were  laid  aside  or 
died.     In  1858  the  station  was  left  vacant. 

And  now  came  war  in  Nandi.  The  heath- 
en, resolved  to  destroy  the  new  religion, 
made  many  unsuccessful  efforts  to  accom- 
plish their  purpose.  At  last  Tui  Levuka, 
from  Mbau,  with  Tuara,  Thakombau's  bro- 
ther, came  to  their  assistance.  The  Chris- 
tians had  hitherto  succeeded  in  defending 
their  towns  against  their  foes,  who  finally 
accomplished  by  stratagem  what  they  had 
failed  to  do  by  force.  Tui  Levuka  and  his 
allies  anchored  off  the  mission  premises. 
Telling  the  people  that  they  had  come  at 
the  request  of  the  missionaries  to  protect 
the  town,  the  wily  enemies  were  admitted; 
whereupon  they  rushed  in,  set  fire  to  the 
town,  and  speedily  laid  it  in  ashes.  Tui  Le- 
vuka, with  unusual  humanity  for  a  heathen, 
refused  to  allow  the  usual  privilege  of  mas- 


346  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

sacring  the  inhabitants;  but  they  were  sub- 
jected to  insult  and  outrage  and  shared  out 
as  captives  among  the  towns  on  the  coast. 
The  mission-house  escaped  the  flames,  to  be 
broken  into  and  rifled. 


CHAPTEE.  XVI. 

DAY-DAWN    IN    MBAU. 


Thakombau,  the  powerful  chief  of  the 
small  but  important  island  of  Mbau,  near 
the  large  island  of  Viti  Levu,  had  steadily- 
refused  to  receive  a  missionary.  The  mis- 
sionaries who  were  brought  in  contact  with 
him  always  took  a  deep  interest  in  him,  on 
account  of  his  high  position  and  his  personal 
character.  Mr.  Calvert  and  Thakombau  had 
always  been  on  very  friendly  terms;  and 
Mr.  Calvert  faithfully  endeavored  to  awaken 
his  conscience.  When  he  was  stationed  at 
Viwa,  Mr.  Calvert  anxiously  desired  to  ex- 
tend his  influence  to  Mbau.     On  the  visits 


lis-:  ^i 


m 


lhM\:. 


'^li»i!!liiVlf;|r'i!:f 


DAY-DAWN    IN    MBAU.  347 

whicli  he  frequently  made  to  that  island,  he 
always  sought  an  interview  with  the  chief. 
Often  these  visits  were  returned,  when  Tha- 
kombau  would  seek  a  private  interview  with 
the  missionary  in  his  bedroom  or  little  study 
and  converse  for  hours,  generally  starting 
such   objections   as   would   bring    out    the 
strongest  arguments  against  the  heathenism 
of  Fiji, — which  arguments,  on  leaving,  he 
would  use  in  opposing  his  own  priests  and 
chiefs.     Whatever  other  effect  was  produced 
upon   Thakombau,  it  was  certain   that  his 
opposition  to  the  lotu  was  restrained;  and 
this  was  no  small  gain. 

Permission  was  quietly  given  to  a  few  per- 
sons in  Mbau  to  become  Christians,  and 
among  these  were  some  women  of  rank. 
The  number  increased  until  Thakombau  was 
alarmed  and  forbade  all  public  Christian 
worship.  Tanoa,  his  old  father,  was  more 
favorable  to  the  Christians,  and  gave  them 
leave  to  hold  services  at  Sembi,  a  town  near 
Mbau,  where  some  of  his  own  women  resided. 
The  missionaries  went  there  regularly  from 
Viwa  on  the  Sabbath,  and  always  took  Mbau 


348  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

on  the  way  home ;  so  that,  though  they  might 
not  have  public  worship,  they  could,  by  ap- 
pearing in  their  Sunday  costume,  at  least 
remind  the  people  of  the  religion  which 
kept  every  seventh  day  holy. 

The  strict  observance  of  the  Sabbath  made 
such  an  impression  upon  Thakombau  that  he 
ordered  a  feast  which  had  been  appointed 
for  the  Sabbath  to  be  postponed  till  Monday. 

The  power  of  the  gospel  was  manifestly 
beginning  to  tell  on  this  chief.  His  outward 
respect  for  all  Christian  observances  was 
uniform;  and  he  frequently  expressed  to 
priests  and  chiefs  his  opinion  that  Christianity 
was  ''the  one  true  thing  in  the  world,"  and 
that  it  would  prevail. 

About  this  time  the  Mbutoni  people  came 
to  Mbau,  after  a  long  absence,  to  pay  tribute, 
and  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  entertain 
them  with  suitable  honors.  These  honors 
included  a  cannibal  feast;  and  for  this  victims 
must  be  obtained. 

The  missionaries  were  absent  fr()m  Viwa; 
but  Mrs.  Calvert  and  Mrs.  Lyth  were  at 
home,  and  heard  ominous  sounds  betokening 


DA  f -DAWN   IN   MBAU.  349 

the  horrible  preparations  for  the  still  more 
horrible  feast.  Procuring  a  canoe,  these 
heroic  women  went  alone  to  Mbau,  if  possi- 
ble to  save  some  of  the  victims  from  this 
dreadful  fate.  With  the  protection  of  an  ''  un- 
seen guard"  round  about  them,  they  passed 
unmolested  through  the  half-maddened  can- 
nibals into  the  presence  of  the  king,  and 
begged  him  to  stop  the  work  of  death.  They 
then  went  to  the  chief  of  the  fishermen,  who 
supplied  material  for  these  feasts,  and  ap- 
pealed to  him  to  sacrifice  no  more  lives. 
They  succeeded  in  persuading  these  men  to 
let  the  victims  suffice  who  had  been  already 
killed ;  and  even  in  Mbau  there  were  some 
who  blessed  these  noble  women  for  the  work 
done  this  day. 

The  islands  were  in  1849  visited  by  Cap- 
tain Erskine,  of  her  Majesty's  ship  "Havan- 
nah."  This  officer  did  all  in  his  power  to 
strengthen  the  influence  of  the  missionaries, 
and  particularly  took  occasion  to  express  his 
horror  at  the  practice  of  cannibalism,  in  an 
address  to  the  chief,— Mr.  Calvert  interpret- 
ing.     Thakombau   afterwards  begged  Mr, 

OS 


350  THE   CANNIBAL    ISLANDS. 

Calvert  to  tell  Captain  Erskine  that  tlie 
custom  of  eating  men  was  one  they  had  de- 
rived from  their  fathers,  but  that  they  of  the 
present  day  knew  better  and  would  give  it  up. 

Many  visitors  to  the  islands  at  this  time 
noticed  that  the  people  were  unwilling  even 
to  mention  cannibalism,  and  that  some  of  them 
pretended  perfect  ignorance  of  it.  Captain 
Erskine  particularly  requested  Thakombau  to 
prevent  any  human  sacrifice  on  the  occasion 
of  an  anticipated  visit  from  the  Somo-somo 
people,  and  further  entreated  that  when  his 
father  Tanoa  should  die — an  event  evidently 
not  distant — he  would  not  allow  any  stran- 
gling of  women.  The  first  request  the  chief 
granted,  but  he  said  he  could  not  make  any 
promise  with  regard  to  the  second. 

Thakombau  was  gradually  yielding.  When 
some  Christians  came  to  visit  Mbau,  he  gave 
them  one  of  his  houses  to  worship  in.  They 
continued  to  meet  here,  although  much  an- 
noyed by  the  people.  The  favorite  little  son 
of  Thakombau  was  permitted  to  attend  regu- 
larly, dressed  in  the  lotu  dress  and  accom- 
panied Dy  his  train  of  attendants. 


DAY-DAWN   IN    MBAU.  351 

The  missionaries  now  thought  it  time  to 
apply  to  the  king  for  ground  to  build  a  mission 
house  at  Mbau.  This  request  was  granted ; 
and  the  chief  and  his  father,  to  the  relief  and 
pleasure  of  the  missionaries,  announced  that 
they  would  erect  the  buildings.  It  seemed 
at  last  that  their  long-desired  object  was  to 
be  attained,  and  that  the  station  would  be 
permanently  established.  But,  before  the 
work  was  begun,  a  long-existing  war  with 
an  adjoining  district  was  rekindled,  and,  in 
the  excitement  attending  it,  Christianity  was 
little  remembered. 

Mr.  Calvert,  wishing  to  induce  the  king 
to  be  merciful  in  the  coming  combat,  if  not 
to  avoid  it  altogether,  spent  three  days  with 
Thakombau  previous  to  the  setting  forth  of 
his  army.  His  efforts  were  attended  by  a 
measure  of  success. 

After  the  heathen  rites  the  god  was  said 
to  have  manifested  himself  through  the 
priest,  and  promised  victory.  The  expedi- 
tion started,  certain  of  success ;  but,  in  spite 
of  preconcerted  treachery,  they  had  to  re- 
treat hastily,  with  a  priest  and  several  others 


352  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

wounded.  The  offerings  had  failed,  and  the 
old  system  proved  false, — whereby  its  hold  on 
the  people  was  loosened  and  fresh  vantage- 
ground  given  to  the  teachers  of  the  truth. 
There  were  many  signs  of  this  lessening 
power  of  the  old  religion.  During  the  ab- 
sence of  the  army  on  this  expedition,  food 
was  frequently  eaten  without  the  customary 
offering  to  the  gods;  and,  when  he  returned, 
Thakombau  declared  his  intention  of  taking 
the  priest  to  task  for  his  false  prediction.  It 
was  strange  that  this  man,  who  opposed  the 
establishment  of  Christianity,  should  reprove 
openly  those  who  spoke  against  it:  yet  such 
was  repeatedly  the  case. 

Their  recent  reverses  had  but  led  the  people 
at  Mbau  to  the  more  eager  pursuit  of  war; 
and  to  this  every  thing  had  to  yield.  While 
heathen  temples  were  being  rebuilt  with  new 
zeal  in  the  hope  of  propitiating  the  gods  who 
had  deceived  them,  they  had  but  little  time 
or  inclination  to  erect  a  mission  house:  so 
the  hope  of  an  establishment  here  was  again 
deferred. 

In  1852  the  old  king,  Tanoa,  died.    It  was 


DAY-DAWN    IN   MBAU.  353 

not  often  that  any  one  was  allowed  to  live  so 
long :  but  Thakombau  would  never  listen  to 
any  proposition  to  put  his  father  to  death. 

The  death  of  the  king  had  been  looked 
forward  to  by  the  missionaries  with  great 
interest.  If  Thakombau  could  be  induced 
to  prevent  the  strangling  of  the  women,  and 
the  custom  thus  be  once  broken  through,  it 
would  be  felt  throughout  Fiji;  while  the 
failure  of  their  earnest  efforts  to  bring  about 
this  result  would  confirm  the  custom.  As 
the  king  daily  grew  weaker,  the  missionaries 
became  more  urgent,  warning  the  chief  of 
the  enormity  of  the  crime  contemplated. 
Besides  an  offering  of  whales'  teeth  to  re- 
deem the  victims,  Mr.  Calvert,  in  Fijian  style, 
offered  to  have  a  finger  cut  off  if  they  could 
be  spared. 

Thakombau  was  respectful,  but  resolute  in 
his  determination  to  obey  the  custom  of  ages 
and  honor  his  father  in  the  usual  manner. 
He  told  the  missionaries  which  women  would 
be  killed,  and  asked  them  to  visit  them. 
They  did  so,  and  found  them  fully  resolved 
to  die. 

39* 


354  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

The  horrible  scene  which  occurred  is  thus 
described : — 

On  the  6th  of  December  Mr.  Calvert  was 
called  away  to  Ovalau.  The  next  day  Mr. 
Watsford  went  to  Mbau  alone,  and  found  all 
the  women  at  the  king's  house  weeping. 
The  selected  victims  were  pointed  out,  with 
their  friends  weeping  over  them;  and  he 
warned  them  faithfully  of  the  punishment 
that  awaited  the  wicked  in  another  world, — 
to  which  one  of  them  boldly  answered, ''  Who 
fears  hell-fire?  We  shall  jump  in  there  the 
day  the  king  dies."  Passing  into  the  prin- 
cipal house,  he  was  still  more  shocked  to  see 
Thakombau's  wife  and  some  more  women 
preparing  the  dresses  for  the  others  to  wear 
on  the  day  of  their  death.  Mr.  Watsford 
went  to  the  young  king,  and  found  him 
among  his  assembled  chiefs,  where  once 
more  the  solemn  warnings  were  faithfully 
spoken;  but  in  vain.  The  missionary  then 
returned  to  Viwa,  but  soon  crossed  over  again 
to  Mbau,  where  he  remained  till  midnight, 
trying  to  save  the  women.  Before  leaving, 
he  backed  his  last  appeal  by  ofi"ering  the  new 


FUNERAL   MURDERS.  356 

wliale-boat  belonging  to  the  mission,  twenty 
muskets,  and  all  his  own  personal  property; 
but  still  in  vain.  Early  the  next  morning 
he  went  back  to  Mbau,  and  found  that  Tanoa 
was  dead.  Hastening  on  to  the  house  where 
he  lay,  Mr.  Watsford  saw  six  biers  standing 
at  the  door, — from  which  he  knew  that  five 
victims,  at  least,  were  to  accompany  their 
dead  lord  to  the  grave. 

Within  the  house  the  work  of  death  was 
begun.  One  woman  was  already  strangled, 
and  the  second  was  kneeling  with  covered 
head,  while  several  men  on  either  side  were 
just  pulling  the  cord  which  wound  round  her 
neck,  when  the  missionary  stood  on  the 
threshold,  heart-sick  and  faint  at  the  ghastly 
sight.  Soon  the  woman  fell  dead.  Mr. 
Watsford  knew  her.  She  had  professed 
Christianity,  and  shrunk  from  death,  asking 
to  go  to  prayer.  But,  when  the  fatal  moment 
came,  she  arose  when  called,  and,  passing  the 
old  king's  corpse,  spat  on  it,  saying,  ''Ah, 
you  old  wretch !  I  shall  be  in  hell  with  you 
directly!"  The  third  was  now  called  for, 
when  Thakombau  caught  sight  of  the  mis- 


356  THE  CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

sionary,  and,  trembling  with  fear,  looked  at 
him  in  agony  and  cried  out,  "What  about 
it,  Mr.  Watsford?" 

Mr.  Watsford  with  great  difficulty  answered, 
''Refrain,  sir!  That  is  plenty.  Two  are 
dead.     Refrain!     I  love  them!" 

The  chief  replied,  "We  also  love  them. 
They  are  not  many, — only  five.  But  for 
you  missionaries,  many  more  would  have 
been  strangled." 

Just  then  a  third  victim  approached,  who 
had  offered  to  die  instead  of  her  sister,  who 
had  a  son  living.  She  had  sat  impatiently, 
and,  on  hearing  her  name,  started  up  in- 
stantly. She  was  a  fine  woman,  of  high 
rank,  and  wore  a  new  liku.  Looking  proudly 
around  on  the  people  seated  in  the  apart- 
ment, she  pranced  up  to  the  place  of  death, 
off'ering  her  hand  to  Mr.  Watsford,  who 
shrank  back  in  disgust.  When  about  to 
kneel,  she  saw  that  they  were  going  to  use  a 
shabby  cord,  and  haughtily  refused  to  be 
strangled  except  with  a  new  cord.  All  this 
time  the  assembly  gazed  at  her  with  delight, 
gently  clapping  their  hands,  and  expressing, 


FUNERAL   MURDERS.  357 

in  subdued  exclamations,  their  admiration 
of  her  beauty  and  pride.  She  then  bade  her 
relatives  farewell,  and  knelt  down,  with  her 
arms  round  one  of  her  friends.  The  cord 
was  adjusted  and  the  large  covering  thrown 
over  her;  and  while  the  men  strained  the 
cord  a  woman  of  rank  pressed  down  the  head 
of  the  poor  wretch,  who  died  without  a  sound 
or  struggle.     Two  more  followed. 

Throughout  the  terrible  scene  there  was 
no  noise  or  excitement;  but  a  cheerful  com- 
posure seemed  to  possess  every  one  there, 
except  Thakombau,  who  was  much  excited, 
and  evidently  making  a  great  effort  to  act  his 
murderous  part  before  the  face  of  God's  mes- 
senger. He  ordered  that  one  of  the  victims 
should  live;  but  she  refused;  and  her  own 
son  helped  the  king  and  the  rest  to  strangle 
her.  Mr.  Watsford,  by  painful  effort,  stayed 
to  the  last,  protesting  against  the  heartless 
butchery  which  he  and  his  brethren  had  so 
long  striven  to  prevent. 

During  a  war  which  took  place  with  Ova- 
lau  in  1853,  Thakombau  was  seriously  em- 
barrassed by  a  tribe  of  mountaineers  who 


358  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

revolted  from  their  allegiance.  Elijah  Verani, 
— once  the  brutal  heathen  chief,  now  a 
preacher  of  the  gospel, — ever  faithful  to  his 
friend,  offered  to  go  and,  if  possible,  win  them 
back.  Mr.  Calvert  remonstrated  with  him 
on  account  of  the  danger  of  the  undertaking; 
but  Verani  was  resolute.  He  had  sent  mes- 
sengers, who  were  not  allowed  to  land;  and 
the  only  course  open  to  him  was  to  go  him- 
self. On  leaving,  he  said,  "This  may  be  the 
time  of  my  removal." 

With  a  small  party,  he  went  on  his  perilous 
mission.  It  seemed  at  first  likely  to  be  suc- 
cessful. The  chiefs  received  him  and  his 
gifts  graciously;  but  when  the  Lakemba 
king  heard  of  his  arrival  he  offered  his  sister 
and  some  property  as  a  bribe  to  the  moun- 
taineers if  they  would  kill  Verani.  The 
bribe  was  accepted;  and  the  next  morning, 
as  Elijah  and  his  party  were  walking  past  a 
temple,  they  were  fired  upon.  A  man  then 
ran  at  Elijah  with  a  club;  but  the  Viwan 
chief  wrested  it  from  him  and  threw  it  on 
the  ground.  The  man  again  seized  it,  and 
his  victim  could  offer  no  more  resistance:  a 


DEATH   OF   VERANI.  359 

"ball  had  struck  him,  and  he  fell  dead  beneath 
the  blows  of  the  club.  All  the  party  but 
cne  perished,  and  several  were  eaten,  among 
whom  was  a  valuable  preacher.  The  bodies 
of  Elijah,  his  two  brothers,  and  another  were 
taken  to  Levuka,  where  the  murderers  re- 
ceived liberal  payment  from  the  whites  and 
the  natives.  Mr.  Waterhouse  went  boldly 
and  begged  for  the  bodies,  which  were  given 
up  to  him  and  decently  buried. 

Such  was  the  end  of  the  renowned  Verani, 
the  Christian  chief  Elijah.  He  who  before 
his  conversion  had  put  so  many  to  a  violent 
death  at  last  fell  by  the  hands  of  murderers. 

The  death  of  his  friend  produced  a  power- 
ful impression  upon  Thakomban,  who  had 
suffered  humiliations  and  reverses  of  late, 
and  whose  influence  was  resisted  by  an 
organized  opposition  in  the  islands. 

He  was  led  by  these  events  to  consent 
that  a  missionary  should  reside  in  Mbau, 
and  gave  up  a  small  stone  house  for  his 
use.     Mr.  Waterhouse  went  immediately. 

Soon  afterwards  Thakombau  was  attacked 
by  severe  illness;    and  the  thought  of  ap- 


360  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

proaching  death  was  terrible  to  him.  While 
he  was  in  this  state,  the  news  of  the  assassina- 
tion of  Tui  Thakau,  King  of  Somo-somo,  was 
brought  him.  Mr.  Calvert  told  him  that 
this  chief  had  been  long  and  faithfully  warned 
by  the  servants  of  God,  but  had  resisted  the 
truth,  and  was  now  suddenly  cut  off  without 
hope  of  salvation.  ''And  does  the  Lord 
work  so?"  he  anxiously  asked.  Mr.  Calvert 
answered  him  that  he  did,  and  that  he  too 
had  been  warned,  and  should  seek  the  mercy 
of  God  before  it  should  be  too  late. 

Thakombau  seemed  much  softened  by  these 
events.  After  much  deliberation  and  hesi- 
tancy, he  made  up  his  mind  to  publicly  pro- 
fess his  change  of  faith. 

Mr.  Calvert  came  from  Ovalau  to  conduct 
the  services.  At  nine  o'clock  the  death- 
drum —  Tongo-Tongoi  valu  (reporter  of 
war) — was  beaten.  Ten  days  before,  its 
sound  had  called  the  people  together  to  a 
cannibal  feast;  now  it  gave  the  signal  for 
assembling  in  the  great  Stranger's  House  for 
the  worshipping  of  the  true  God.  About 
three  hundred  people  were  in  the  building, 


THAKOMBAU   A   CHRISTIAN.  361 

before  whom  stood  the  chief  with  his  chil- 
dren and  many  wives  and  other  relatives. 
In  front  of  him  was  his  priest, — an  old  man 
with  gray  hair  and  a  long  beard.  All  had 
assumed  the  more  ample  lotu  dress,  and 
were  well-behaved  and  serious.  Mr.  Calvert, 
who  had  so  long  watched  and  toiled  for  this 
event,  was  deeply  moved  by  the  scene,  and 
could  scarcely  find  voice  to  go  on  with  the 
service.  That  was  a  day  ever  to  be  remem- 
bered as  one  of  the  most  important  in  the 
annals  of  Fiji.  After  worship  the  people 
crowded  about  the  missionaries  to  ask  for 
alphabets,  and  gathered  in  groups  to  learn 
to  read.  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Waterhouse 
preached  to  a  congregation  as  large  as  that 
of  the  morning. 

Thakombau  was  evidently  relieved,  now 
that  he  had  thrown  off  the  old  yoke  of  hea- 
thenism. He  caused  the  Sabbath  to  be  strictly 
observed,  and  procured  a  large  bell  by  which 
to  summon  his  numerous  household  to  family 
prayer.  His  own  attendance  at  the  preach- 
ing and  prayer-meetings  was  regular,  and 
his  deportment  serious.    His  little  boy  of 

31 


362  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLAND;^. 

about  seven  years  of  age  had  already  been 
permitted  to  bear  the  name  of  Christian,  and 
had  learned  to  read.  The  little  fellow  now 
became  the  teacher  of  his  parents,  who  were 
both  so  eager  to  acquire  knowledge  that 
sometimes  their  young  instructor  would  fall 
asleep  with  fatigue  in  the  midst  of  the  les- 
son, to  resume  it  after  a  refreshing  nap. 

The  king's  example  was  followed  by  many, 
— some  from  motives  of  expediency,  and 
others  from  sincere  conviction. 

The  change  in  Thakombau  was  not  as  yet 
a  very  vital  one.  His  judgment  was  con- 
vinced, but  his  heart  did  not  yield,  and  the 
principles  of  heathenism  were  not  altogether 
uprooted  from  his  soul. 

Eatu  Nggara,  the  Rewan  chief,  elated  by 
his  own  recent  successes  and  the  reverses  of 
his  rival,  sent  word  to  Mr.  Waterhouse  to  re- 
move from  Mbau,  because  he  was  about  to 
destroy  the  town  and  its  king.  This  the 
missionary  refused  to  do,  regarding  the 
threatened  danger  as  making  his  presence 
more  needful.  Thakombau  was  surprised 
and  touched  by  this,  and  said,  "When  the 


DAY-DAWN    IN    MBAU.  363 

vessel  is  sinking,  every  one  is  anxious  to 
provide  for  his  own  safety,— as  many  of  my 
own  relatives  are  doing;  but  you,  when  I 
am  reviled,  remain  to  perish  with  me." 

''  Only  be  faithful  to  God  and  follow  the 
guidance  of  his  word,  and  I  will  remain 
with  you  until  your  death,  should  it  be  per- 
mitted to  come  to  pass  during  the  present 
agitation,"  replied  Mr.  Waterhouse. 

Every  day  the  troubles  and  dangers  of 
Mbau  became  more  threatening.  The  cause 
of  religion  was  aided  rather  than  hindered 
by  this,  however;  for  the  people  and  their 
king  sought  after  God  in  their  distress,  and 
Thakombau's  proud  heart  melted  under  the 
pressure  of  grief  and  anxiety,  until  he  sat 
at  the  feet  of  Jesus  to  learn  of  him  endur- 
ance and  forgiveness  of  enemies. 

He  sent  to  the  Eewan  king,  proposing 
peace.  The  king,  thinking  that  this  was  a 
token  of  weakness,  sent  back  a  proud  re- 
fusal,— saying  that  he  would  soon  kill  and 
eat  Thakombau,  and  that  he  defied  his  God 
Jehovah  to  save  him  from  his  vengeance. 
The  humble  chief  had  now  calm  confidence 


364  THE    CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

in  God,  and  could  hear  this  message  un- 
moved. 

A  spy  was  detected  in  an  effort  to  bribe  a 
town  of  Mbau  to  revolt.  He  was  sent  safely- 
back  to  Eewa,  wearing  a  new  dress  given 
him  by  Thakombau. 

During  these  difficulties  the  missionaries 
endeavored  to  keep  on  peaceable  terms  with 
both  parties.  They  went  constantly  from 
one  to  the  other,  and  were  often  in  circum- 
stances of  very  great  danger  in  making  these 
journeys.  The  God  whom  they  served  was 
truly,  however,  "their  shield  and  buckler" 
in  all  these  days  of  peril. 

The  dreaded  war  was  prevented  by  the 
death  of  the  Rewan  king,  Ratu  Nggara. 
When  Thakombau  heard  of  this  event,  he 
immediately  sent  to  Eewa,  asking  for  peace. 
"Tell  the  Rewa  people,"  said  he,  "to  become 
Christian,  and  let  us  establish  a  peace  that 
shall  be  lasting.  If  we  fight  and  one  party 
conquers,  thereby  making  peace,  evil  will 
remain  and  spring  up.  Let  us  all  become 
Christian  and  establish  peace:  then  all  will 
be  likely  to  go  on  well.     I  am  Christian, 


DAY-DAWN    IN    MBAU.  365 

not  because  I  am  weak  or  afraid,  but  because 
I  know  it  to  be  true.    I  trust  in  God  alone." 

The  chiefs  received  this  message  favorably, 
and  sent  an  ambassador  to  Mbau  with  a 
peace-offering.  This  war  and  peace  have 
already  been  referred  to  in  our  chapter  on 
Rewa. 

The  work  of  the  missionaries,  after  much 
toil  and  discouragement,  was  thus  followed 
by  success  at  last.  The  great  Stranger's 
House  at  Mbau  was  set  apart  for  the  public 
worship  of  God,  and  about  a  thousand  people 
would  meet  there,  a  large  proportion  of 
whom  were  evidently  sincere  worshippers, 
— many  of  them  having  bitterly  repented  of 
their  sins  and  brought  forth  fruits  meet  for 
repentance.  The  great  centre  being  gained, 
the  good  work  went  on  without  hindrance 
on  all  hands.  Chapels  were  built  and  houses 
opened  for  religious  service  in  every  direction. 

Mr.  Calvert  left  Fiji  in  1855,  after  having 
spent  seventeen  years  in  active  labor  there. 
He  returned  to  England  to  superintend  the 
printing  of  the  Bible  in  Fijian.  The  Sun- 
day before  he  left  the  islands,  he  preached  to 

31 


366  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

a  crowded  congregation  in  the  Stranger  s 
House.  The  memory  of  what  Mbau  once  was, 
the  sight  of  its  present  condition,  gratitude 
to  God  for  the  success  with  which  he  had  at 
last  crowned  their  toil  and  suffering,  moved 
the  missionary's  heart  most  deeply;  nor  were 
the  congregation  before  him  unaffected  by 
the  occasion. 

In  1857,  Thakombau  was  married  to  his 
queen.  His  numerous  other  wives  were 
sent  away ;  and  with  them  he  sacrificed  more 
wealth  and  influence  than  can  be  estimated 
by  strangers  to  Fijian  life.  This  act,  there- 
fore, was  a  most  convincing  proof  of  the 
change  Christianity  had  wrought  in  him. 

The  hindrance  to  his  baptism  was  now  re- 
moved, and  the  rite  was  performed  January 
11,  1857.  In  the  afternoon  the  king  was 
publicly  baptized.  In  the  presence  of  Grod, 
he  promised  to  "  renounce  the  devil  and  all 
his  works,  the  pomps  and  vanities  of  this 
wicked  world,  and  the  sinful  lusts  of  the 
flesh."  He  then  addressed  the  assembly. 
It  must  have  cost  him  many  a  struggle  to 
stand  up  before  his  court,  his  ambassadors, 


DAY-DAWN    IN    MBAU.  367 

and  the  flower  of  his  people,  to  confess  his 
former  sins.  In  time  past  he  had  considered 
himself  a  god,  and  had  received  honors 
almost  divine  from  his  people;  now  he  hum- 
bles himself  and  adores  his  great  Creator 
and  merciful  Preserver. 

And  what  a  congregation  he  had!  Hus- 
bands whose  wives  he  had  dishonored! 
widows  whose  husbands  he  had  slain !  sisters 
whose  relatives  had  been  strangled  by  his 
orders !  relatives  whose  friends  he  had  eaten ! 
and  children  the  descendants  of  those  he 
had  murdered,  and  who  had  vowed  to  avenge 
the  wrongs  inflicted  on  their  fathers ! 

A  thousand  stony  hearts  heaved  with  fear 
and  astonishment  as  Thakombau  gave  utter- 
ance to  the  following  sentiments: — "I  ha.ve 
been  a  bad  man.  I  disturbed  the  country. 
The  missionaries  came  and  invited  me  to 
embrace  Christianity;  but  I  said  to  them, 
*I  will  continue  to  fight.'  God  has  singu- 
larly preserved  my  life.  At  one  time  I 
thought  that  I  had  myself  been  the  instru- 
ment of  my  own  preservation ;  but  now  I 
know  that  it  was  the  Lord's  doing.    I  desire 


368  THE   CANNIBAL   ISLANDS. 

to  acknowledge  him  as  the  only  and  the 
true  God.  I  have  scourged  the  world." 
He  was  deeply  affected,  and  spoke  with  great 
diffidence. 

The  work  now  entered  upon  a  new  life. 
Soon  in  the  Mbau  district  alone  the  attend- 
ants on  Christian  worship  numbered  ten 
thousand. 

CONCLUSION. 

In  looking  over  this  sketch  of  Fijian  mis- 
sion history,  the  magnitude  of  the  work  ac- 
complished must  strike  the  thoughtful  mind, 
and  the  devout  heart  cannot  but  humbly 
say,  ''Be  thou  exalted,  Lord!  we  will  sing 
and  praise  thy  power. ' '  The  change  wrought 
in  Fiji  could  never  have  been  brought  to 
pass  by  human  strength  or  wisdom.  God 
has  been  working  in  those  savage  natures. 
In  parts  of  these  islands  he  has  caused  can- 
nibalism, polygamy,  infanticide,  authorized 
murders,  and  brutal  despotism  to  fade  away 
almost  to  extinction.  He  has  caused  civili- 
zation to  advance  with  slow  but  steady  steps 
towards   full   development.     There   is   still 


CONCLUSION.  369 

darkness,  superstition,  misery,  and  crime 
marring  the  beauty  of  these  fair  islands  and 
mingling  a  wail  with  the  song  of  praise 
which  arises  from  those  who  have  been  re- 
deemed to  God.  The  urgent,  pleading  call 
for  more  missionaries  in  Fiji  comes  from 
thousands  who  would  hear  if  one  were  there 
to  speak  to  them,  and  from  the  weary, 
overburdened  laborers  who  are  milling  to 
work  till  they  lie  down  exhausted  to  die, 
but  who  might  fulfil  their  measure  of  duties 
for  years  to  come  if  there  were  but  men 
enough  to  share  their  toil  and  their  reward. 
Let  the  prayers  of  Christians  ascend  before 
the  throne  of  the  Great  King  until  the 
Islands  of  the  Sea  shall  all  bow  at  his  feet. 


THE  END. 


Princeton  Theoloaical ,  Seminaf^  Librjri^^^ 


1    1012  01234  0099 


DATE    DUE 


g 


^     - 

w 

^-#5 

^ 

iH 

^ 

^ 

^ 

^? 

m 

^ 

M 

^ 

k| 

& 

^' 

S-'^ 

S^ 

^ 

-t- 

^ 

GAYLORD 

PRINTEDINUSA 

^^i 

^.mmj. 

^%^s^.^ 

